Background: patient makes appt at family practice for today to see different doc than her regular primary for second opinion on dx. C/O generalized discomfort, muscle and joint pain, fatigue, loss of interest in daily activities. Tried lexapro, zoloft, pristiq, no response from any. New dx Fibromyalgia, placed on Savella and a few percocet for pain until Savella started to work. Want to throw in currently on synthroid and not noticing much change there either. Anyway, not responding to Savella much either. Stopped taking it. So, appt is for another doc to say yes it is Fibro, then she will seek rheumatologist. In the meantime requests some pain management such as oxycodone because she did have some relief but doesn't want acetaminophen in it, only requests low dosage until seeing rheumatologist. Also while in office, wants to discuss restarting ADHD meds. Doctor starts yelling at her saying he is suspicious of her, "drug seeker" knows too much about these meds to come in asking for them by name. She says she has been on them and, oh yeah doc, by the way, she's a nurse, she is supposed to know medications, should she pretend she doesn't?? He then asks if she was diagnosed with ADHD as a child because it isn't in her chart (started going to this practice 2008) and that childhood is the only time to be diagnosed with that. She tells him her previous retired, possibly dead doctor gave diagnosis as late teen BUT her mother and her sister were both diagnosed as adults. As she is saying all of this, the doctor gets up, says he needs a break, and leaves the exam room!! When he comes back she tries to say she was only telling him what she responded to and what she didn't. Also asked him what she should do regarding trouble with attention, keeping track of everyday details, tasks etc. She is crying hard at this point too. He asks her if she wants to speak to the office manager and leaves again, yelling in the back hall that there was a problem and manager needed to come in here. Who knows how many patients and staff heard this. Manager comes in, patient explains everything she said and what she meant, look in her history, NEVER had a "seeking" incident or request etc. Manager says never saw doc like this, doesn't know why he is acting this way. Patient asks for alternative meds etc, manager brings doc back in, patient says she will try Lyrica, he asks about gabapentin, patient never took this, he leaves again to find samples, comes back says nope none, patient says she will take script for either to at least give it a chance, and her xanax needs a refill sent too. Doc gets up AGAIN, opens door, loudly says to the patient she will have to find another doctor. Now, patient has no meds, no scripts called to pharm, needs to find another doctor with no notice and was never even examined, no heart, no lungs, no painscale NOTHING! Manager did give patient contact number to report physician.
Wouldn't this be considered patient abandonment?? He refused to examine her, treat her, or even call in scripts she has been on for awhile. She will be without a physician for who knows how long, and she only wanted his opinion to see if maybe something was missed because she wasn't responding to the normal treatment for that dx.He also stated after calling her a drug seeker that she probably will refuse payment for his services today too!! That to me is very offensive to assume someone has no money to pay and implying she is a junkie.
Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.
I think you need to consider whether she might read allnurses.com. If she does, she'll be able to identify herself and it could be a hurtful thing to her as well as an anger-producer in her thoughts about you...
I'm uneasy with the idea that this supposedly healthy-until-recently person (who never had much more than a cold, per the OP in post #35) is now actively taking or seeking a plethora of psychoactive meds.
Whispera, MSN, RN
3,458 Posts
I think you need to consider whether she might read allnurses.com. If she does, she'll be able to identify herself and it could be a hurtful thing to her as well as an anger-producer in her thoughts about you...