Physical -- who's looking at your drugs?

[easysurfer]

I when for my annual checkup today.

I like my doctor as he has a great bedside manner. He takes time to talk and listen instead of just getting the the actual exam.

Anyhow, I had an interesting thing happen. During Q &A, he asks me, are you taking any medications? I go, nope as I presently am not.

After the physical as he's out to get my a printed out summary and I get dressed, he comes back and says, "I see that back in November, you've been taking some antibiotics?" I got, "Huh? That must be some kind of mistake. I haven't been here for antibiotics in years..."

Then there's a silence. I think for a bit. November? I remember...and tell him, "Must have been for my dental implant." He tells me, their system now has it that anytime one gets a prescription, they know. He then looks at the presciptions I had and said, "Okay, that makes sense."

I suppose it's good as what meds I have when, by memory isn't the most accurate. Also, I suppose maybe doctors don't want patients going painkiller shopping. Yet, it was a little creepy that if my dentist prescribes a med, my doctor will know about it.

[rescueme]

Personally, I have no problem with it. I have a PCP and a specialist that I see every six months.

Both have access to my records (drugs and otherwise).

Personally, I would like all doctors who "co-share" my well being to know the complete history of my care.

BTW, you did forget, didn't you ? ...

[Alan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by easysurfer Yet, it was a little creepy that if my dentist prescribes a med, my doctor will know about it.

I think that is a good thing. If you are unconscious at a hospital from an accident I'm sure you'd like the ER doctor to be able to see what meds you have been taking before he puts more meds into you.

[rbmrtn]

I think there is a database now for prescriptions at the state level. We just a bunch of folks busted locally for "doctor shopping" for controlled pain meds using multiple prescriptions.

Questions & Answers - State Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs

[deserat]

Actually it is at the national level - it is hoped to use this to monitor drug compliance for chronic diseases as well - compliance as well as remote monitoring and exercising are hoped to minimize the impact of reactive care to chronic disease critical episodes.

The database is a subscriptions service and monitors all of the prescriptions sold by pharmacies. It captures approximately 80-90% of the activity outside of a hospital.

[Semiretired2008]

I think that is great. My mother while visiting one time had to go to our family doctor for some problems she was experiencing. He asked what medications she was taking - she pulled them out of her purse and he found that the combinations she was taking were not supposed to be taken simultaneously. She had had one prescribed by one doctor and the other prescribed by another. She was under a state medical system and the primary was who ever was available that day...

[Telly]

Quote:

Originally Posted by deserat Actually it is at the national level - it is hoped to use this to monitor drug compliance for chronic diseases as well - compliance as well as remote monitoring and exercising are hoped to minimize the impact of reactive care to chronic disease critical episodes. The database is a subscriptions service and monitors all of the prescriptions sold by pharmacies. It captures approximately 80-90% of the activity outside of a hospital.

I had never heard of this before. So it is a big ever-growing database with patient names/SSN's or other personally identifying factors, and is updated each time a prescription is filled?

I could (maybe) understand a database to monitor a certain level of restricted drugs like Oxycodone and the like. But I can not agree with a government system that logs antibiotic use, or birth control pill use, etc, etc. by private name.
Big Brother run amok.
If people at a Drs. office can get into it, then almost anyone can. A gigantic violation of privacy. Please tell me that I am misunderstanding something here!

[deserat]

Google e-prescribe and NCPDP SCRIPT standard - is required by ONC for a specific type of functionality for EMR certification, i.e. meeting meaningful use (MU) criteria