What is reasonable?

[kadi]

What is a reasonable amount of time to expect a return phone call from a doctor's office?
For:
1. Making an appt when you've left a message on their answering machine
(apparently no humans answer the phone there anymore)
2. Prescription refill (when at zero refills at the pharmacy)
3. Consultation question, like if it's appropriate to adjust the instillation formula?

I waited over a week on a zero refill issue with the pharmacy. Had to call a third time (and that's even after the pharmacy FAXed the request to them) & pointedly remind the voicemail that medicine only works if I can get it.

I've always been very courteous & polite, have never been rude or demanding, but I am very frustrated right now & am considering documenting this and contacting patient advocacy at the hospital.

The really frustrating thing is that I am dependent on this research hospital clinic, because my local doctors won't do a thing for me re: my IC because they say that the research hospital specialist should do it. Uh right.

And just making an appt doesn't work for me right now, because I haven't met my deductible yet & if I even walk into the place, it'll be $175-225. (Apparently, there's no such thing as a simple "office visit".)

Any suggestions?

[ihurttoo]

The nurse at my Drs. office returns most calls. She usually returns calls at the end of the day, or even 30 min to 1 hr after the office has closed, unless it is an emergency, in which case the answering service gives the option of paging the Dr. on call. Occasionally, calls arent returned until the next business day, (sometimes that afternoon.)

For refills, we are suppossed to call 3-4 business days before the r/x runs out. Sometimes, they dont call it in until the day it runs out. Sometimes, the pharmacy still has to fax them a reminder. But, then they generally call it in within an hour, but sometimes, it is at the end of the day for that too. Frustrating, I know!

I have never dealt with a research Dr. or hospital before, so I cant advise you on how to proceed. I really have no clue what is normal for them and what is not. However, I definately think it is time to have a discussion with the Dr AND the nurse to clarify exactly what the procedures are, and what their expectations are for their patients and for themselves. I agree that they seem to have real problems with this issue.

If they cant (or wont) make the changes they need to make, then I believe I'd be finding a new Dr. (If you can.....Like I said, I dont know how this works with research Drs. and hospitals.)

Good luck! I hope they get back to you soon! It sounds like you are well within your rights to be upset.

Hugs,
Amy

[lnseagraves]

Recently, I heard that when you call the doctor's office you should just about ALWAYS assume its an "emergency" unless its to make or break a routine apt. The reason being, patients don't know what a true emergency might be. Not getting a prescription refilled after calling for weeks would be an "emergency" to me! Call the doctor directly if they put you on hold again, if they complain about it, explain that you've literally been on HOLD and waiting for a return call for over a week!

[ICNDonna]

Do you have a primary care physician who might be willing to help with refills, etc.? Sometimes that's the easiest way.

Donna

[kadi]

No, that's the problem.
My primary care doctor is very good, but he won't do anything if it's for my IC, says that since I have a specialist, he refers me back to him on those matters.

[mary124]

My doctors offices usually calls back within the same day or at the very latest the next morning it just depends on when I call them.

As to prescriptions refills, most times I have refills on the bottles before I go back to the doctors, but I have had to call the doctors for my Husband a few times, because after calling the pharmacy and asking about his medications to see if the doctors office called his in, I would call the doctors office and they would say "no we never received the fax but we will call the pharmacy right now"

As to the research doctors never had to deal with them, good luck.

[HGC]

My Dr. always calls me back the same day and I have such a good relationship with his office that if I say I need to speak with him (I only do this if I am really having a problem) they will put him on the phone right away. I know this is not the norm for most people and trust me I realize how lucky I am.

[toby75]

My gyn handles my IC care at this point. I have seen the IC specialist and my gyn handles all the meds that the uro suggested and the pain meds. He is a one doctor office, which I love. He has two nurses and the LPN nurse is also the receptionist. I call in for a refill or concern and I get a callback less then hours that day and my refills are called in and ready for pickup that day.

amy

[GriffsMommy]

I always get a call back the same day. Both my gyn's office who orginally diagnoised me and my uro that I'm seeing now have a nurse line. The nurse will take your info and check w/ the dr if need be and get back to you later in the day. The dr doesn't actually call you but both practices are large so I don't expect that.