OB/GYN vent and ?

[ntburns22]

The pill helps me have a normal period and makes me feel normal..

I am also on them for very irregular periods. For example, before I had my son my last period was in June and we didn't concieve him until August. My periods would be anywhere from 30-50 something days apart.

 

[crz4mm2]

Our office calls in one month of BC all the time for pts. Our nurses have the ok to do that as long as the pt has an appt scheduled.
I would be awfully angry if I were you.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I can imagine what an inconvenience it must be for someone who doesn't have easy access to doctors willing to write prescriptions.

Actually it doesn't sound like an unwillingness to write the script--just a lack of follow through. Big difference. I didn't get anything from OP's post that suggested that doc was refusing to do this--just that it hadn't been done in a timely manner. Understandable as we don't know how many ladies also "forgot" about their refills--if a medical emergency happened in the office that detained doc. We just don't know. We also don't know if this would have happened had the doctor never been on vacation either.

Yes I would be peeved if any doctor's office says they would do something and then didn't (which I am understanding is more of an issue).

 

[jodifla]

Still, there are circumstances beyond your control sometimes that prevent you from getting the meds you need, when you need them.

I've only been to my new Ob/Gyn twice in two years...not enough time for me to get cozy with the staff or him at all. I ran out of my patch the last two years before my annual appointment. He would write me 12 refills, I would use them, and inevitably run out two or three weeks prior to my next visit, and my insurance will only let me schedule one checkup per calendar year, and they are very strict. When I called him to get a refill, the staff won't call in an extension, and they told me to make an appointment to come in. But I CAN'T...or I have to pay OOP.

Not to mention me wanting extra patches to postpone my period for vacations and special occasions...I've been scrounging patch prescriptions and free samples from every doctor I work with.

I can imagine what an inconvenience it must be for someone who doesn't have easy access to doctors willing to write prescriptions...

Hugs to the OP...and just snuggle this week. (I personally think you'll be okay if you start your BCP today. I forget my BCP on Sunday all the time...in fact I put my new patch on just now when I read this. But that's not sound medical advice...my luck you'll follow it and end up pregnant. )

Frankly, I find what your doctor is doing to you unconscionable. He should write a prescription for at least 13 patches, since your insurance makes it hard for you to have the patches last the full calendar year.

I would insist on this the next time you saw him. What's the big deal?? How hard is it to write 13 or 14 instead of a 12?

 

[tiggger1]

"Poor planning on YOUR part does not constitute an emergency on MINE."

my husband told a lady on the boat back to the campground this when she was complaining about being late to hoop de doo and and pushed my 2 year old out of the way. she didnt think it was funny

 

[froglady]

Frankly, I find what your doctor is doing to you unconscionable. He should write a prescription for at least 13 patches, since your insurance makes it hard for you to have the patches last the full calendar year.

I would insist on this the next time you saw him. What's the big deal?? How hard is it to write 13 or 14 instead of a 12?

The problem is that a lot of people don't schedule their appointment UNTIL they run out of patches, pills, etc. so that if the doctor starts writing 13 and 14 refills, she'll still end up with "emergency" calls for refills for patients who haven't been seen for over a year. Most OB/GYN offices are booked for weeks in advance, so if she calls it in, the patient may actually go 15 or 16 months between appointments, which could be construed as malpractice on the doctor's part, since patients on these medications are supposed to be checked no less than every 12 months.

Part of the problem is relying on insurance to pay for office visits, and being dictated to by them. If a patient paid out of pocket, the appointments could be scheduled so that the meds never run out beforehand.

I do agree with the OP that if I were dissatisfied with my OB/GYN' s office (because we don't know WHO dropped the ball) AND had no underlying medical problems, history, etc AND had not really established a relationship, finding a more compatible office would be a logical decision.

Just remember that the grass is not always greener, and you might end up with someone worse. It may take a lot of searching to find the right fit.

 

[MScott1851]

The problem is that a lot of people don't schedule their appointment UNTIL they run out of patches, pills, etc. so that if the doctor starts writing 13 and 14 refills, she'll still end up with "emergency" calls for refills for patients who haven't been seen for over a year. Most OB/GYN offices are booked for weeks in advance, so if she calls it in, the patient may actually go 15 or 16 months between appointments, which could be construed as malpractice on the doctor's part, since patients on these medications are supposed to be checked no less than every 12 months.

You have a point. If it were up to some women, they'd never go in for a pap smear or an exam. If doctors just called in bcp willy-nilly, some serious underlying health issues could be over looked.

But in my case, I'm scheduled one calendar year apart for my pap appointments, and sometimes Mother Nature necessitates I postpone for a week or so. I'm not going to pay $200 for a OOP visit just because I want my patch a week early, either. That's silly. I'll go to the doctor for my annual, and if I have a medical problem, I'll schedule another appt for that. I didn't mean to imply my insurance wouldn't cover it, I'm sure mine is like everyone elses. It allows for that one "well checkup" per year. But if I had some sort of gyn problem, it would cover those appointments 100%, too.

Something else you have to realize is that even if you have refills left on your prescription, the prescription itself is only good for a calendar year as well. So you very well could have three refills available at Walgreens or whereever, but if you don't get them by such and such date, they are no longer valid.

Eh. I'm not really in a bind over the state of things...and I'm not about to do something silly like fire a doctor I like over a gap of two or three weeks over birth control. It's simply not a big deal to me...there are other ways to NOT make a baby besides my patch.

 

[jodifla]

Eh. I'm not really in a bind over the state of things...and I'm not about to do something silly like fire a doctor I like over a gap of two or three weeks over birth control. It's simply not a big deal to me...there are other ways to NOT make a baby besides my patch.

I agree with almost all of your well-written post, but for me it's NOT silly to fire a doctor who isn't prepared to provide me with birth control when I need it, not when it fits in with their schedule. This is how a lot of "accidents" happen.

I schedule my appointments months in advance also, but sometimes I need to move them, and sometimes the doctors have to move them because of deliveries.