GPs need educating!
Moderators: Anne Klepacz, John Smith, Sweet
Here it is hard to get into a GP, when a new one comes and it is relevant I need to explain KC, that I have had grafts and that I need a script for pred forte. My opthal who is 3 hours away and I have an understanding. I take pred when I need to see what happens and ring him if necessary. I know my boundaries and self prescribe to a degree. I used to find it a lot easier to get my drops from the vet. They would book them down to my dog and I could get them with a phone call. Not strictly legal but my opthal knew as did my regular gps. Unfortunatly that vet has left the clinic and I now need to make an appt to see a gp (which can take 4-8 weeks) get a script over the phone (24-48 hours) or go into outpatients (1-2 hours) but the last option means explaining everything again, because the drs are usually on 12 week rotations. Have not needed to do it for 6 months so not to bad.
- Sweet
- Committee
- Posts: 2240
- Joined: Sun 10 Apr 2005 11:22 pm
- Keratoconus: Yes, I have KC
- Vision: Graft(s) and contact lenses
- Location: London / South Wales
Thanks for your replies.
I wasn't expecting him to know much about KC, i understand that they are general practioners for a reason and that they can't know everything in detail! Also as with a lot of conditions being quite rare it would be possible to never have a patient with it.
I was just lost as to explaining about having a graft done and why i would need a repeat for steroid eye drops, which makes complete sense to me and i have no medical training. He thought that maybe i needed to reduce them, to which i answered that my surgeon will know when and that i just needed his signature on a prescription!
Sweet X x X
I wasn't expecting him to know much about KC, i understand that they are general practioners for a reason and that they can't know everything in detail! Also as with a lot of conditions being quite rare it would be possible to never have a patient with it.
I was just lost as to explaining about having a graft done and why i would need a repeat for steroid eye drops, which makes complete sense to me and i have no medical training. He thought that maybe i needed to reduce them, to which i answered that my surgeon will know when and that i just needed his signature on a prescription!
Sweet X x X
Sweet X x X
- Andrew MacLean
- Moderator
- Posts: 7703
- Joined: Thu 15 Jan 2004 8:01 pm
- Keratoconus: Yes, I have KC
- Vision: Other
- Location: Scotland
Claire
When we moved from Aberdeen to Glasgow (this was in the old days, 1985 .. I think Moses had just graduated from nappies and that the Wright Brothers had probably just completed their first historic flight), I told our new GP that I had Keratoconus.
Bless him, he said "I don't know anything about that, but I will." Next time I went to see him he had genned up on KC and we had a long talk about the prospects and prognosis.
When I emerged from his consulting room about half an hour later the people in the very full waiting room must have thought that I was on death's door: nobody got a long consultation unless they were very ill (or had an interesting eye condition which ordinary mortals find difficult to pronounce!)
Persevere with your new doc. With patience you will have an opportunity to complete his or her education!
Andrew
When we moved from Aberdeen to Glasgow (this was in the old days, 1985 .. I think Moses had just graduated from nappies and that the Wright Brothers had probably just completed their first historic flight), I told our new GP that I had Keratoconus.
Bless him, he said "I don't know anything about that, but I will." Next time I went to see him he had genned up on KC and we had a long talk about the prospects and prognosis.
When I emerged from his consulting room about half an hour later the people in the very full waiting room must have thought that I was on death's door: nobody got a long consultation unless they were very ill (or had an interesting eye condition which ordinary mortals find difficult to pronounce!)
Persevere with your new doc. With patience you will have an opportunity to complete his or her education!
Andrew
Andrew MacLean
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