Mattress RX

[Louisville04]

I work at a VA.

Today I saw a 76 y.o. man with a history of two lumbar surgeries (laminectomies) and several spinal injections. He asked for a mattress. Initially I thought he wanted the VA to buy him one. He said he just needed a RX for a mattress from an orthopedist. He would pay for it himself. However, it would be exempt from sales tax and he could deduct it on his income taxes (he has a breathing problem and deducts his air conditioning bill from his taxes as well).

His wife said they change mattresses every two years. They went to a hotel and tried a sleep number which he found beneficial.

Has anyone written RX for a mattress and do you have to put anything specific in it?

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[Doctodd]

Just write it on a script....no special instrxns...do it all the time.

 

[dc2md]

Just write it on a script....no special instrxns...do it all the time.

So you just write, "mattress", "dispense: #1"? 🙂 But seriously, you don't have to put "for the treatment of .....", or even specify the mattress type "firm mattress", or "tempurpedic mattress"?

 

[Doctodd]

Put a dx code and brand(if the patient knows) if you want. I havent taken one myself, so i dont know what "instructions" the cashier gets, but this is for the $8/hr cashier to not charge them sales tax...it isnt a Medicare auditor.

 

[deleted185747]

I am not aware of any evidence for any specific mattress, and a patient asking you to write one is ridiculous.

Patients seem to think that just because they walked in to your office now they can get whatever they want which is strange because I thought doctors were supposed to give their expert opinion...

 

[karlpt]

I heard about RX mattresses. But changing mattresses every 2 years is not good. I and my wife are using Memory foam mattresses from last 8 years and no complaints.