Patient Prescriptions
When calling another store for a prescription, they are supposed to be civil and speak to you nicely, even if you may not be able to get the Rx over the phone. What are some of our bad experiences, and what course of action should be taken towards the practice whom is not very cooperative?
I what to know. I need to know.
Dear ekcldo
Now . . . calm down.
This is NOT the time to show your anger.
Wait a few days, then . . . .
I'll loan you my AK47!
Alternate plan:
Shrug your shoulders and say to yourself . . . S - - - Happens!
Personally, as I have had similar experiences to include a dial tone for a response, I would limit my exposure and just say thanks.
If the scenario repeats itself, and you actually have not yet spoken to the big cheese, you might calmly say something like: "Put Dr. ______ on, please!"
Don't put the please in front. That implies asking for permission.
But, at the end it is a polite closing to a demand.
No co-operation? Send the BC a courteous note like . . .
Dear . . . I am trying to serve a patient of yours who asked for assistance. I would appreciate your help in getting the Rx so that person can continue to regard your professional support.
And, after I hit the "submit" button you'll get a bunch of other ideas. I have never had a problem again after that note from that person.
Here where I am; I am told that people will give the wrong RX on the telephone intentionally to make the other end look rediculous, to keep the business in their own shop. That is why I am told that things are always faxed.
Optibiz
This happens every where, Always practice C.Y.A.
I must confess when someone asks me for and Rx, I give them exactly what they ask for and no more. If they ask for a contact lens PRECRIPTION, I give them the spectacle Rx with the words "O.K. for Contacts" on it. This is exactly what the patient had when they came to see me. Most of the dummies (office help, nurses, COT's or "Doctors" don't know the difference til they call it into the lab anyway. Those who do, as for contact lens specifications, then I ask what do they want specificly, it's always the base curve, power and diameter, and sometimes the manufacturer. 90% of the time I am going to get the patient back with a poor opinion of the guy they saw last, just because the dummy didn't have sense enough to ask for the peripheral curves, curve widths, O.Z.'s, thickness etc.. Who am I to educate the person trying to make a living on my expertise.
If the "practioner" cared anything about the patient he would be asking for Pre-fit, K's and other measurements of the eye, not the contact. Then he would evaluate the patient for possibly needed fitting improvements. When he asks for specifications or Rx only, he's only wanting to make a sale.
Chip
Thanks for all of your suggestions. I have tried shrugging my shoulders, I've even been reduced to requesting a copy of prescription via fax instead of the easy way by just asking for it. If I sound disgusted -- I am.
It burns me when a salesperson is hired at an optical establishment who has no appreciation for healthcare, represent opticians as a cutt-throat dollar mart business, where if you're not buying your lenses(contacts or lenses)there, you have to pay for your services rendered to you that day. And they'll consider releasing your presciption, if they can find the patient's file.
what real steps can we take as a whole?
Since most optical stores needs a licensed professional on staff to stay open? Should licensed professionals only speak to licensed professional when trying to retreive a prescription?
I would like to take a poll.
When I practiced, we always asked for the Optometrist or Optician to speak with in regards to the RX. Believe it or not, it was well received.ekcldo said:
Since most optical stores needs a licensed professional on staff to stay open? Should licensed professionals only speak to licensed professional when trying to retreive a prescription?
I would like to take a poll.
Just an added aside, we filled an MD rx a couple months ago, then got the pt in with a new rx, since he was having problems with the first one; the pt (a retired MD) was very emphatic that the MD told him his problem was that WE made his glasses wrong! Since the glasses checked out fine, I called the dr's office and asked what they had written for the previous rx, on the os, they had called for an axis (on a 2.00 cyl) of 170, but on the written rx, they wrote 17. the pt couldn't see with the second rx either, subsequently went to another dr., got something entirely different and now sees great....I was so glad that I kept the original rx in file to be able to have the pt. understand that I filled the rx 'as written'.
I'm hard pressed to find a time when your insistence on speaking to the prescribing doctor or the office manager got you no place.
If some "flunky" is running interference, as I have had in the past on occasion, I inform the "flunky" that he has a choice:
1, Send the patient marching in spitting mad because he refused to let the patient have access
2, Ask Mr/Mrs "Flunky" their name. Then tell them that they will be in contact with the prescribing doctor or manager directly from another source, and that you will inform them you and the patient have been mistreated.
3, Refusal to release the prescription to the patient is in violation of FTC Eyeglass II regulations. The prescription belongs to the patient. The service leading to that prescription was paid for. You will arrange for the patient to obtain an FTC claim form. Also, be advised that depending on the state, a patient is entitled to all medical and health records and you will advise them to exercise that perogative.
Then, as I have said in the past . . .
"Now, which option would you like me to convey to the patient."
Besides what I suggested in the Readers Digest form in an earlier posting, this stuff works everytime because they don't want trouble from the gov. and they don't want their name bounced around as "the bad guy!". What I said above can be said orally in far fewer words and get the same results.
Once in a great while you get a smarty pants who says, in one way or another, "stuff it."
In which case you have the option of being the stuffer or the stufee!
More and more I find with ophthalmologists offices (I have little contact with O.D. offices) I find that the office help regards the doctors as little white gods who are too important to be disturbed with anything less than another little white god. The doctors themselves are quite friendly and one wants to express the difficulty, but who are you to tell him he doesn't manage his office help right. A decade or two ago, any ophthalmologist office (less of them dispensed then and those that did had some training in communications with us technical types) this was not much a problem. But even the nicest ophthalmologist seem to have help that resist contact from outside technical types. I get more calls from the doctors asking me for records than I get Rx's flowing in now. Something is wrong with this.
If we threaten the friendly ones with Eyeglass II, they won't be friendly long. How often now do you get the young receptionist answering the phone: "Dr.s X & Y, could you hold please?" This broad doesn't realize that she is in a MEDICAL OFFICE and she should find out what the problem is and who has it before putting them on hold. The patient might have a serious injury, need immeadiate attention and directions to the doctors' location.
However. they make the rules and we are only allowed to play the game.
Chip
Just found This page about this subject..
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So if you do a free eye exam you dont have to release the RX?
Can you tell the patient that you will release the RX after you get paid by their insurance (Union 3-4 month, HIP 12 month)????
Eye glass II says you must (or offer to) release the Rx at the time of the exam. You may not offer to reduce or discount exam fee if patient purchase spectacles from you. Fine for not doing so: $ 1000.00 per incident.
Or so it was given to me somewhere, some time.
Chip
Have found some a_________ who feel the patient must ask for Rx at time of exam. And will charge for Rx if requested after time of exam.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely,
Chip
I just can't believe there are opticians or alleged opticians in the industry, who would give a constumer difficulty in purchasing eyeglasses. Maybe I'm just niave. I'm sure all of us heard of a bad experience from a customer about another store, practice, person working there, etc. By just telling the customer to go back there are we not allowing this **** to spread everywhere in the industry. HOW CLOSE WILL THIS BRING US TO DEREGULATED STATE?
The whole profession is deteriorating. Irresponsiblity will cause a licensed state to become a certified profession. We are given the opportunity to report this to the Dept. of licensed professionals. How many of us exercise this responsibilty?
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