How Can a Doctor's Office Enforce This?

[Chattyaholic]

I took my Dad to his doctor's appointment (yearly physical) this morning and there was a notice on the door, and again inside right by the sign-in desk.

It was like one of those no smoking signs, with a circle crossed out - "No perfumes, cologne or lotions."

How can they enforce that?

I mean, I don't go to this office, was just taking my Dad so know nothing about their rules. What if I had "bathed" in perfume this morning? What would they have done?

I didn't have any perfume or anything on, but if someone comes in that is, what can they really do about it?

 

[mariolatry]

I suppose they could ask you to wait outside but who gets to determine how much scent is too much? What about deodorant and soap scents?

I understand about chemical allergies but it seems like it would be difficult to enforce. Maybe they only wait until someone complains?

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Yes.

1. It is private property.

2. There are lots of people who have allergic or asthmatic attacks due to fragrances.

 

[Tazicket]

More power to them! I'm asthmatic and it's really hard to breathe around most perfumes. I imagine they ask the people to wait outside...

 

[DisneyBlonde]

Hmmm. I guess it ok if that's what they want...but they shouldn't expect first time visitors to comply unless they mentioned it when you made the appointment.

 

[Jennasis]

Sounds good to me. I hate having to sit in the stink cloud of someone who has marinated themselves in perfume. I imagine the office staff informs the offender to wait outside. It is likely that the rule is for the doctor who may have a violent allergy, asthmatic, migraine reaction to the offending substances.

 

[Fan2CSkr]

My Immunologist's office has the same sign up. There are some that are so sensitive that scents trigger a severe reaction. I would think if they didnt inform their new patients before arriving the only ting they could do is ask you to wait outside/in your car until you are called into a room.

 

[WaltD4Me]

Never saw this one before, but I think it's great! I get terrible headaches from strong scents.

I see what you are saying, that since you were just bringing your dad, you would have no way of knowing about this rule (I assume patients are told when they make their appointments) but it's their office and maybe someone in it gets sick from perfumes, what could you say if they said "I'm sorry, we have a severe asthmatic in the office and we have to ask you to wait outside due to your perfume." Are you going to refuse and make someone sick?

 

[bicker]

"No scents" is becoming as commonplace as "no cell phones". Folks should now expect both restrictions, whenever they go anyplace where different people wait together with each other.

Either way, their "house" their rules. When confronted with a sign like that, I can either turn off my cell phone (go into the bathroom and wash off the perfume/cologne) or find another doctor.

 

[NMAmy]

My doctor's office has the same sign. Since I don't wear perfume, it's never been an issue. But I do appreciate it, as well. I hate getting stuck on an elevator with someone whose cologne/perfume knocks you right over.

 

[momrek06]

I think that is FABULOUS. My 20yo DS suffers with migraines and he cannot be around people who tend to "overdue" it when applying colognes. It does not take much with DS to bring on a migraine...this is one that DOES.

AWESOME.

 

[mandy200587]

My mom is allergic to citricus type smells and she can't talk when she gets around them.

 

[SweetSpellsSweetie]

I went to see a new doctor last year. They didn't say anything on the phone, but it was in the package that they send to you to fill out and return on your first visit.

 

[Kahana-ri]

I work with cancer patients and its an understood policy not to come to work with heavy fragrances of any sort due to the sensitivity of our patients. Many of the oncology the units/hospitals have signs posted with the same request.

 

[LBAK]

My dr.'s office also has this sign and I think it's great, not only for people allergic but also for people that just don't feel good.

 

[RealMickeysGirl]

I can definitely understand it - I have sensitivity to chemical smells to and perfumes, room deodorizers, new tires (I hate to go to a tire store - end up with a headache), and some others will give me a headache. Of course, I have other allergies as well, some causing headaches, sneezing or in the case of gardenias, throwing up. Yep - I can get within about 10 feet of a gardenia bush and I start to upchuck. Not a plesant experience.

One of the people I work with is having a problem right now because of 2 co-workers using strongly scented hand lotion. He is in a big room with 6 cubicles and his eyes puff up and he coughs whenever they use the lotion - I think it is Avon Skin so Soft which will set my allergies off big time. He has asked them to please switch to something unscented but so far they don't seem to care.

I told him that i would consider that a hostile work environment and ask the boss to do something about it. Maybe if he asks them to switch to unscented lotion they will.

 

[Cool-Beans]

I think that's a great idea for a doctor's office. Strong scents give sick people headaches and make them throw up.

Plus, being one of those folks who gets a bad (not migrane, but still bad) headache from scented stuff, I say WOO-HOO!

 

[missj1975]

I have never seen a sign like that before but it sounds like a good idea. At my old job, a co-worker that sat in the cube behind me would constantly spray some kind of perfumed spray all day long. I asked her to stop because it kept making me sneeze but she didn't. So one day the bottle just disappeared. I have no idea how that happened.

 

[DISUNC]

I took my Dad to his doctor's appointment (yearly physical) this morning and there was a notice on the door, and again inside right by the sign-in desk.

It was like one of those no smoking signs, with a circle crossed out - "No perfumes, cologne or lotions."

How can they enforce that?

I mean, I don't go to this office, was just taking my Dad so know nothing about their rules. What if I had "bathed" in perfume this morning? What would they have done?

I didn't have any perfume or anything on, but if someone comes in that is, what can they really do about it?

Imagine being the receptionist who has to sniff out offenders!

 

[HappyLawyer]

They can enforce that because certain odors trigger reactions and attacks, asthma etc..