Arrogant doctors

[Estrace]

How do you deal with stupid doctors in retail?
This stupid doctor left a rx for bethanechol suspension on our voice mail for a pediatric patient. He didn't leave the patient's DOB and the direction wasn't very clear. I called him back to verify the prescription and he got upset. He was yelling on the phone that we were disturbing him and that he already spoke to someone about the prescription. Well, it was on my voice mail and I didn't have any record that someone already handled the prescription before me. He was so rude, I hung up on him. This was the first time a doctor has acted this way towards me. It was ridiculous.

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[VA Hopeful Dr]

How do you deal with stupid doctors in retail?
This stupid doctor left a rx for bethanechol suspension on our voice mail for a pediatric patient. He didn't leave the patient's DOB and the direction wasn't very clear. I called him back to verify the prescription and he got upset. He was yelling on the phone that we were disturbing him and that he already spoke to someone about the prescription. Well, it was on my voice mail and I didn't have any record that someone already handled the prescription before me. He was so rude, I hung up on him. This was the first time a doctor has acted this way towards me. It was ridiculous.

Doctors, like everyone else, are people. Some people just suck. Forget about it and move on, its not worth spending any extra time thinking about.

 

[confettiflyer]

You really don't have much recourse in retail, just pretend you called him while he was on the toilet, laugh, and move on.

Like the post above, most docs are great, a few are a-holes. Also go up the chain of command...try to reach a nurse or assistant first, sometimes they can look at a chart and relay the info without bugging a doc.

 

[opinionfree]

Satisfying my civic duty, I report for jury duty this past Monday. Not knowing the procedure and with my upcoming NAPLEX/CPJE exams, I was anxious. Within seconds of all prospective jurors taking seats, a man jumps up and announces he is a physician and MUST be excused or his patients will suffer and die. While that act may work in most settings, the judge was NOT amused and appropriately chastised the physician. The physician returns from our lunch break, WEARING SCRUBS into the courtroom. Now, no one is amused. He was grilled mercilessly by the lawyers, as part of the juror screening process. In the end, he was not chosen to be part of the jury; thank heavens nor was I.
However petty it may sound, I am human and it was amusing to watch the way the arrogance of this physician was dealt with by the judge and the lawyers. Makes me wish I did attend law school, after finishing pharmacy school, back in the day.

 

[kvl1027]

I always wondered from where this behavior stemmed. When I was on my Trauma/Surgical Critical Care rotation I was able to attend several weekly M&M conferences or the surgical residents. It was there that I learned just how much pressure these individuals were under on a day to day basis. We as pharmacists may experience a small amount of this pressure under certain situations in which an error on our part may result in some serious consequences, but it is not something that we experience as regularly.

I expect a surgical attending to direct, aggressive, and to the point. I also would expect a surgical resident to learn that type of behavior and act in such a way to some degree. However, there is a difference between this type of behavior and someone just being a complete prick. When someone's life is on the line and talking down to me or a staff members somehow ensures that patient's survival, then fine, I get it.

I dont understand why some physicians feel the need to carry that same level of intensity all the time, especially when they no longer practive in such a stressful environment. I get that they are busy, I get that have a serious responsibility, but I don't understand why I get yelled at when I am trying to fix a mistake the physician has made. I have spoken to several physicians who were professional and understanding and thankful for my call and several who were dicks for no reason.

Don't let someone walk all over you. It doesn't matter if they are a physician or a customer, just be professional and stand your ground. In the end you will get more respect that way.

 

[kvl1027]

As an add on, make sure you are right before you call and bug a physician. And make sure it's significant as well.

 

[Digsbe]

To be honest there are arrogant people in any profession. Personally, I would do my best to just not let someone else's arrogance get in the way of patient care. If a physician is going to yell at you over needing info about a script they aren't properly caring for their patient and are probably trying to satisfy an ego/lash out stress on you. I would focus on the importance of "I need to know so that I can help the patient" and put things where the focus needs to be.

 

[Sparda29]

I haven't seen too much of the arrogant physician attitude when dealing with physicians. I don't know about anyone else here, but when I call a physician I NEVER, NEVER, EVER start a conversation off with "sorry to bother you". It just sets the tone for the rest of the conversation/relationship by establishing that you are conceding to them that their time is worth more than your time.

On my shift it's just me and the other pharmacist. When the other pharmacist makes the call, I cringe every time I hear them start off by saying "sorry to bother you doctor". I prefer going with "doctor x, you need to do this or i'm calling to clarify x".

 

[npage148]

If applicable always stress that I'm calling because of an issue on their end. It keeps them in check if you let them know you are bothering them because of something they did off.

Some d-hole doctor (who i found out was like chief of orthopedics) called in lortab the other day for a patient. He balked when I asked his DEA, "what doctors know their DEA?" "All doctors trying to call in controls for their patients on a saturday" He said ok forget it then in a huff but sheepishly called back 10 minutes later with it.

 

[type b pharmD]

You just tell them hey this is the way it is, its my license and my practice is this way and if you don't like it, tough chit.

I had to call today on a c2 that was way above the usual dose in a normal, opioid intolerant patient. After 10 minutes of back and forth, the doctor told me that it was *his* final judgment that I was in the wrong. I told him that's fine, my final judgment is that your patient should take their script elsewhere.

Dr calls can get frustrating.. if the dr is just having a bad day or has been screwed over by administrative mishaps such as a lost script or a poor MA I try to cut them some slack .. remembering everyone is human and has a tough job and applying some positivity usually resolves these. But if the dr is just being a plain old arrogant dingus.. remember you have the final say on whether to dispense.. you can always just say thanks for your time but thats it , take it or leave it. If they continue.. I'm not afraid to hang up. Thankfully this isn't too frequent

 

[Estrace]

I never apologize for a doctor's time. Why should I?. If they care about their patients, then they should be grateful that we called to clarify prescriptions that are not clearly written. A lot of doctors have thanked me for calling to clarify if something they wrote isn't clear. This guy was a prick and I hung up on him. I told him I didn't have time for any drama and to call me back when he wants his patient to get their med. My store manager knows, you yell at me and we are done. I walk away once a patient starts yelling or being rude to me. If they are rude to me on the phone, I will ask them to call back when they are not mad or upset because I'm not gonna let them be rude or yell at me.
This doctor called in this prescription himself and when I called back the number he left, I was transferred to him. Why leave a number if you didn't want a call back? If you have time to call in a script for a patient, you should also have time to speak to a pharmacist calling back to clarify what you called in. He was just an arrogant prick.