(Snippets from the frontline)
COVID-19: Nothing changes
My recently discharged patient was on a ventilator in the hospital, yet thankfully was found to be coronavirus negative. Typically at home she is bedridden, but not on many medications. Her drugs are expensive, so the family receives them from a mail-order pharmacy at a reasonable monthly fee.
That pharmacy was gobbled up by another company, and their new policy required the patient to receive a two month supply of drugs instead of a one month supply. This meant physicians had to legally change the prescriptions for all medications, and I elected to do this by phone.
I spoke with 4 people in 26 minutes, finally changing three prescriptions.
We will all be relieved once this pandemic crisis is over. But the existing problems related to the hoops and red tape physicians and other healthcare professionals still face will not change.
There will be many stories of honor and bravery surrounding the battle against this virus. But this war pales in comparison to the ongoing fiasco our country faces with the present healthcare system.
Gene Uzawa Dorio, M.D.
I totally feel for you doctors. I have hard enough time trying to get my meds, and I’m only one person. I feel our current medical system is crazy. I think the doctors should make the health care decisions not the insurance company or the pharmacial companies.
Thank you for keeping us informed ,
Linda