Quote:
Originally Posted by BethRags
My pdoc is staying out of her office until further notice. The staff isn't even sure yet how we can refill prescriptions, since there is no back-up pdoc. There's just my GP and she's horrible about psych meds because she says she doesn't feel confident about prescribing them. I have one med that working really well (Trilefon). Last week pdoc told me to increase it, but that's not on the label.
I'm kind of panicking, not to mention sort-of angry that she's doing this. Is anyone else in this situation, as far as no pdoc in office? If so, what are you doing?
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Hi BethRags. Honestly, I can't understand why you, and surely other patients, are left in the lurch. I guess if your pdoc was severely ill, or somewhere abroad, I could understand, but I'm assuming you don't know that. I do know that some states in the US have different rules about telemedicine. I think that's silly that some psychiatrists and therapists can't proceed with their work (and helping patients) from home. My psychiatrist has called in prescriptions for me from his home. Though I almost never have called his cell phone, he does offer it for emergency contact.
As I wrote above, I'm assuming you don't know why your pdoc is totally incommunicado. Do they just not care about patients? If that is the case, what kind of human being are they? If it is the case that they are sick or abroad (or in one of the states that disallow telemedicine), they should plan for backups and/or all states should allow telemedicine. This crisis shows how important having such contingency plans are. It's 2020. Not 1950.
My psychiatrist is still available and I'm sure he'd call me back within 24 hours, if I called him in real need of something. He was supposed to go to Europe in about four weeks, but I'm really unsure that that plan is still a go. He usually has a backup psychiatrist for his patients, but not for a short trip. Usually only for his longer summer vacation, which is usually 6 or so weeks.
I had a video session with my therapist today. It worked out well. I don't see why I couldn't have the same with my psychiatrist, if in-person appointments were a bad idea.