Dentists and prescriptions.

[beastly115]

One of the biggest benefits to my father being a physician is he can write anyone in my family a prescription when we get sick. Do dentists generally write prescriptions for medications generally not used for dental related purposes?

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[Dr. Pedo]

One of the biggest benefits to my father being a physician is he can write anyone in my family a prescription when we get sick. Do dentists generally write prescriptions for medications generally not used for dental related purposes?

No

 

[MSc44]

One of the biggest benefits to my father being a physician is he can write anyone in my family a prescription when we get sick. Do dentists generally write prescriptions for medications generally not used for dental related purposes?

they can if they want
mostly low key stuff, like abx, or maybe a little anti anxiety meds.
my buddies dad used to treat the whole family if the family doc was not around

 

[scalpel2008]

DDS or DMD (or is this getting old)

 

[drhobie7]

I've been writing Cialis scripts for the past year using a DEA# I got off an old coot in the Mojave Desert.

 

[CorneliusFudge]

One of the biggest benefits to my father being a physician is he can write anyone in my family a prescription when we get sick. Do dentists generally write prescriptions for medications generally not used for dental related purposes?

It can be done but is generally frowned upon. Just pay the 60 bucks and go see your MD. They know their field and we know ours.

 

[toofache32]

It can be done but is generally frowned upon. Just pay the 60 bucks and go see your MD. They know their field and we know ours.

This is true for both MDs and DDS/DMDs. It's a bad practice to get in the habit of writing for family members. If something goes bad and you end up before the state board, you're not supposed to write scripts unless it is a patient of record in your practice and you have documented it in their medical record. But it still happens all the time. I gave a scopolamine patch to my cousin who was leaving town the next morning to go scuba diving once, but that was one of my few exceptions.

 

[Demeter]

If it is for Antibiotics, go a head and write an Rx. You are also a doctor.
50% of physicians graduate in the bottom half of their class.

 

[beastly115]

Thanks for the responses. The situation I was thinking of was that my dad wrote me a prescription for codeine when I had a bad cold. As a dentist, would it be wrong to prescribe something for my kid if they have a bad cold?

 

[scalpel2008]

Thanks for the responses. The situation I was thinking of was that my dad wrote me a prescription for codeine when I had a bad cold. As a dentist, would it be wrong to prescribe something for my kid if they have a bad cold?

prescribing controlled substances for family member is never good idea. did you have a bad cough? otherwise i don't see why codeine would be used for a cold.

 

[toofache32]

Codeine is a cough supressant but is still a narcotic and frowned upon by the DEA for writing to family members.

 

[unlvdmd]

I have a huge problem with this, even though I am not yet licensed by the DEA. I see TOO OFTEN a doc (both MD and DDS/DMD) writing a Zpak Rx for a "buddy" with a sore throat with no rapid strep test... nothing!! How the hell do they even know that that crap is even bacterial?? Then there are the cases of writing the wives contraceptives. All that does is create a tendancy to put off regular paps at the obgyn that should be getting done. There is just no reason other than convenience for doing it. And in my opnion, that is a pretty crappy reason! Mark my words... I will NEVER do it. Ever! Its just a bad habit to get into with "friends and family."

 

[drhobie7]

I have a huge problem with this, even though I am not yet licensed by the DEA. I see TOO OFTEN a doc (both MD and DDS/DMD) writing a Zpak Rx for a "buddy" with a sore throat with no rapid strep test... nothing!! How the hell do they even know that that crap is even bacterial?? Then there are the cases of writing the wives contraceptives. All that does is create a tendancy to put off regular paps at the obgyn that should be getting done. There is just no reason other than convenience for doing it. And in my opnion, that is a pretty crappy reason! Mark my words... I will NEVER do it. Ever! Its just a bad habit to get into with "friends and family."

What about when they want demerol?

 

[beastly115]

prescribing controlled substances for family member is never good idea. did you have a bad cough? otherwise i don't see why codeine would be used for a cold.

Yeah I had this cold for 6 weeks before he gave it to me. I was coughing up phlegm and couldn't sleep.

 

[aphistis]

Codeine is a cough supressant but is still a narcotic and frowned upon by the DEA for writing to family members.

What he said. Writing narcs for friends who aren't patients is a good way to attract attention you don't want.

 

[ItsGavinC]

Treating family and friends in any manner is a bad idea in my opinion.

 

[DrJeff]

I have absolutely no problem with writing Rx's for basic, dental related things for my family members (i.e. fluoride drops for my kids, ABX pre-med for my wife, etc). No narcs, no OB/GYN stuff, etc. I would though, and have also written for muscle relaxants, anti-histamines, and broncho-dialators for my wife.

An "easy" way to get around spouses and Rx's is to do what my wife did, keep her maiden name

 

[dentalman]

One of the biggest benefits to my father being a physician is he can write anyone in my family a prescription when we get sick. Do dentists generally write prescriptions for medications generally not used for dental related purposes?

I hope there are bigger benefits for a son's physician than prescription writing ... for the sake of your childhood.

 

[drhobie7]

Treating family and friends in any manner is a bad idea in my opinion.

After having done it, I agree completely.

 

[PERFECT3435]

I've been writing Cialis scripts for the past year using a DEA# I got off an old coot in the Mojave Desert.

do you still have the DEA# or the supply of cialis? i am willing to work a deal with you.

 

[scalpel2008]

i once write myself an rx for abx. i was shocked when i found out it's legal.

 

[ItsGavinC]

After having done it, I agree completely.

For sure. Too much crap to deal with. The BEST thing you can do is give them a nice referral elsewhere (and perhaps pay that doc for their treatment if you deem it necessary), rather than give them free services (or even services they pay for).

 

[gryffindor]

One of the biggest benefits to my father being a physician is he can write anyone in my family a prescription when we get sick. Do dentists generally write prescriptions for medications generally not used for dental related purposes?

I have a huge stack of prescription pads sitting in my cabinet because we all know how important it is for orthodontists to be able to write prescriptions. I say we start making good use of those pads and see how far the limits can be pushed.

I like scalpel's idea, I think I will try it out during the residency.

 

[DrJeff]

I have a huge stack of prescription pads sitting in my cabinet because we all know how important it is for orthodontists to be able to write prescriptions. I say we start making good use of those pads and see how far the limits can be pushed.

I like scalpel's idea, I think I will try it out during the residency.

Great post, I just read it to my wife and asked her roughly how many Rx's she's written in her 6 years of ortho practice, she figures maybe 10 over her career, and 3 or 4 of them were for me prior to Claritin going over the counter

The most common scenario when my wife writes an Rx is when her patients GP is out of town, and she seeing the joint patient and they have an abscess starting. She'll usually call me and ask what is my drug regime of choice for that scenario. Or she'll be somewhat amazed when I can recite my DEA# off the top of my head at a moments notice when I have to call in an Rx afterhours.

I figure that over the renewal life of my DEA#, it works out to be about 10 cents an RX for all that I'll write over that 3 year time frame. For my wife in the wonderfull world of ortho, her DEA# costs her somewhere between $75 to $100 an RX over that same time frame So as an ortho, the toughest thing about writing an RX(given the frequency that you'll be doing it) may very well be finding where you last left your Rx pad!