Moved to new town/new GP choices

[Nomad]

New town, new oddities

Someone I kinda know who lives here recommended doctor number one. She was written up in the local city magazine as a top doctor and went to a top school.  So, she was the one I went to see first. They both have offices in my immediate area and are both female. Doctor number two, I haven't met yet.

1. Doctor number one: She seems very intelligent. She has some strange reviews on YELP and other on line sites. Her review ratings are like 2.5 or 3 stars. . Perhaps in practice 18-20 years. I felt my blood pressure go up right away in her office. This is because you are handed a lot of paperwork and there are signs everywhere re: her strict office policies. At first, the rule was that she would charge you $15 if she had to phone in a refill for you because you ran out of a prescription and the parameters that she would even do this were limited. Now, a month or so later, she wont even do that. In fact, when you call, you get a recording of a speech that basically says the doctor wont refill prescriptions under any circumstances. If you need a refill, you must make another appt. Additionally, she seems to schedule five people per hour, first come, first served. Her on line reviews are reflecting anger about this apparently relatively new system. People who have been her patient for years say that if they accidentally come in and don't ask for a refill, they have to come in again and pay and wait. Also, waiting times are often one hour or longer. There are other little oddities as well re: office procedures. When I met her, she seemed intelligent, ok personality, but rushed.  No on line access at all. No reminder call or text. $50 fee if you cancel last minute.  Very first appt....was about a one hour wait. I was with the doctor 20 minutes. They had scheduled 15 minutes. I had to talk rapidly...like an auctioneer.

2.  Doctor number two:  Haven't met yet. Excellent reviews on YELP and other on line sites. Younger. In practice perhaps 9 years.  Took 1000 hours extra training  in Integrative Medicine. I asked about special rules and so forth...no such thing. If you forget to ask for a prescription, just call and ask (the office person did add a caveat that they don't wish to be rushed last minute...going out of town in two hours..type things....very reasonable). Med School in the US...not a big name, but an acceptable university/college.  They already sent me portal information and pinged my email in preparation for a reminder text a day or two before my appt.   Very first appt. I  was told will be about 45-60 minutes....so the doctor can get to know me and fully understand my medical needs.

Neither doctor seems to have a partner at this time.

All of us here have a ton of experience with doctors......please give me your thoughts.  I recognize it isn't totally fair because I haven't met doctor number two yet. And very specifically, what do you think about a doctor (#1) not willing to phone in scripts and making you come in for another appt. under any and all circumstances?

Thank you.

[finallyadx]

Hello Nomad - wow - dr number 1 seems to be quite demanding with little flexibility given to the patient.  20 minutes for the first visit seems a little too little as well...I would think that a new dr would want to get to know the new patients and take more time the first visit minimally.  I have also not heard for a first come, first serve basis within an hour of your scheduled time...I guess that could work to your advantage or against depending on if you are running late  or early!

As far as being charged $50 for last minute cancellations, that sounds reasonable unfortunately just because they usually cannot fill that time slot with another paying patient but given our health and the lack of certainty as to how we will feel from one day to the next can mean extra money for you quite frequently! 

As for prescription refills not being allowed to be called in, I have never heard of that practice either, but what I have been reading is that healthcare in general is changing and that many more drs are moving toward a model where you pay a flat fee every month just to be included in the practice, never mind visits, etc.

I guess if I were you, I would see the 2nd dr with an open mind (as it sounds you did with the 1st) and then write a list of pros and cons...unfortunately the 1st dr sounds like there are many, many cons.  Personally, and this is just me speaking in my humble opinion, dr 1 would be more of a no no for me - between the $50 late cancel fee, no calling in prescriptions and a 20 min first visit...

I hope you are able to find a good, caring, thorough dr in the area that can address your health needs and issues.  Keep us posted. 

[Joe S.]

From the onset, number two may be a good choice if your appointment goes well.

I have to change because of insurance. I have no choice in doctor with the new insurance. I will be assigned one. On the upside, I will no longer have to pay for medical care, dental care, eye care or hearing care at the VA.

[irish]

Doctor number one is a control freak and may have huge obscessive tendencies----my thoughts!!!!!

I would dump her after I have gotten an apt with the new doctor and maybe after seeing doctor #2 also. Sometimes you hate to get rid of a bad doctor if by chance you have an emergency,etc. while waiting to get into a better doctor. You have to make the judgement call on that.

I wonder how many years it took for doctor number 1 to come up with her list. Also, her staff must be as rigid as she is or they would not be working for her. Wooow is the only word that comes to mind. Good luck. Irish

[Navigator]

On prescription refills.  My doctors won?t refill without a visit also...but their prescriptions are for a year of meds. It is totally appropriate to want to see the patient in that case   When I have before you just extend meds.  Things could change.  When I have not been able to get an appointment before my meds run out they have been willing to give me a short extension to enable me to come in.

[lorigacc]

  Wow. I would stay away from dr.#1 and give dr.#2 a chance. Good luck with the doctor thing...I'm still working on it myself

[irish]

I should also add that when you have a new doctor they seldom order meds to be refilled for a year. Often have to schedule another visit and then get a renewal. May take several appts before the doc feels comfortable with you. Often times a patient will see a doc and if they do a script for one year with refills the doc never sees them again. The patient will then go on to the next doctor and repeat the same process----if he/she can.

Doctors are so responsible for events occurring from outcomes of drugs that they have to play it safe cause they could get sued.

I have been seeing all my docs for many years now and all my meds are on 1 year with several refills except for antidepressants which I do oa every 4-6 month med recheck. These psychiatric/psychologistMD have a different set of criteria so they are really strict about renewing meds. Irish

[Nomad]

Here is the thing...
If you see the doctor and are a regular patient and let's say you take three meds regular and one now and then and you forget to ask for the one "as needed." med.
If you call her a day later and ask for that last one, she wont fill it. You have to come back in. I kid you not.

She also wont return phone calls. She gave me an antibiotic and I had a bad reaction. I called three times and asked if I should stop taking it or if I can have a script to counter act the reaction. At 5 pm, after a lot of effort, I left a message for the assistant telling her out of desperation, I decided to stop taking the med as I had no idea what I was suppose to do.

She wrote back (email) some short strange reply that I could barely understand. And said if I still had symptoms, to make an appt.

BTW, on the assistant's voice message it says something like "Please be aware Dr. X does not refill or call in prescriptions over the phone nor does she take prescription refills from the pharmacy. If you need a refill, you must prepare at least one week in advance and make an appt. with the office. If you have run our of your prescription, please press ## and make an appt. with the receptionist."

Several people on-line said that they have been taking certain meds for many years or had just seen her within the month, yet had to make another appt. because they forgot.

She did give me scripts that lasted three months. I am new, so I thought this was fine.

IDK. I am confused. Her on-line reviewers were ironically mostly patients who have been seeing her regularly who are leaving as they do not like her new policies.  Several also mentioned that if you have a problem...she absolutely will not call you back. Probably no one will call you back. You simply have to make another appt. no matter the situation.

[warmwaters]

I wouldn't be able to tolerate a doctor who doesn't do call backs for serious situations.  That's one of my questions when I'm trying to find a doctor.

I usually ask "If I were trying a new med, and having non-threading side effects, how would I get answers to my questions?  If you're not in the office because you're on vacation, who covers your patients?" 

I've just moved to a new area an appalled by the lack of coverage in some of the doctors offices. Previously I'd been seeing doctors that were part of a large medical group that had many  facilities, and there was a plan that if your PCP was out, he or she had coverage by another doctor. It also had a an urgent care model, you could see someone without going to an emergency room (which really is not set up to deal with a lot of the problems we run into).

I'm missing it terribly.

[SjoDry]

Nomad,

I am in agreement with everyone else. After many years of patient mistreatment (for lack of a better word), I want to be put first. Your 1st choice doc seems very self-focused as opposed to patient-focused. In a world where we now have expensive co-pays,etc., the least we should have is a doctor who puts us and our needs first. Some of the policies you have described almost seem like punishment...no thanks had enough inconsiderate docs/treatment enough to last a lifetime. I keep plugging away until I find the right doc- right fit.

Best of luck to you.
SjoDry

[katie1111]

I remember being told by one of my doctors several years ago, that he wasn't supposed to renew a prescription for any patient he had not seen within a year.  I'm not sure who made the rule but it may have been the insurance company.

Katie1111