So today I popped into the Doctors to pick up the prescription for my regular drugs (repeat prescriptions) that I requested last week. Most of the time it’s a very easy process, I just ask for it and if it’s there and ready, it gets handed over. Every now and again I have to have a drug review and most of the time I see it’s coming and can arrange an appointment with my Doctor.
Unfortunately I didn’t spot it this time and when I turned up to get the prescription, I find there is no prescription and a note saying I need a review. Great.
Usually I have no problem with the receptionists – they are just doing their job and they aren’t medical professionals. Most of the time they are friendly. Occasionally they can be also be bolshy and unhelpful and today was my unlucky day.
I asked if there were any appointments available for my Doctor but was told she was on holiday and there were no pre-bookable appointments left until after christmas. No further help offered. Fantastic.
One of the drugs I have to regularly take are Anti-depressants because I suffer from Dysthymic Disorder. Aside from the depression, another major facet of Dysthymia I particularly suffer with is low self esteem and lack of confidence and at that point I had an overwhelming desire to just walk away and hide. Where would that leave me tho?
So I grit my teeth and ask if the review could be done by phone (they offer phone consultations which I find usually fantastic) but was told they no longer do reviews by phone. No further help offered. Fantastic.
I have to psyche myself up to actually go into the surgery in the first place. My Doctor is fantastic but it took me a long time to find her and I’d seen a few of the other doctors in the practice before and not got on with them (another story). So I had to psyche myself up even to go in and pick up the prescription and the thought of having to do it again to go back and actually see someone who wasn’t my regular doctor and who I have no trust with makes me feel panicky and exhausted.
I pathetically asked “so what do I do?” and was told call after such and such a time to get an appointment for the next day with any of the doctors.
By the time I had rushed back to the car I was crying and hyperventilating, and feeling disgusted with myself. Then I was annoyed at them.
I understand they are doing their job but they also have a duty of care to patients and need to have an understanding that when someone comes into the surgery, it’s not because they are well and happy and a lot of people may be in a fragile state of mind. It felt like pulling teeth getting the final answer of ‘ring at such and such a time’ when they could have easily stated that after the first question. If I’d followed the overwhelming desire to get out of there I would have been left with no antidepressants and would have felt that there would be no option to get any until the New Year which would not have been good.
I feel angry on behalf of the people who might be in the same state I was before I was diagnosed because there would be no way I could have continued asking questions or tried to be even minorly assertive.
I’m annoyed at myself for not spotting the review was coming up but equally annoyed that to get to the point to rectify the situation has left me feeling panicky, depressed and tearful. A little help would have gone a long way.
Ugh.
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