There was an important day in my formulation of an opinion about our medical system. It was a cold, snowy day in January, 2004. I had fought my way on treacherous, icy roads to get to my job at Johnson Pharmacy in the village of Johnson, Vermont. My day had started at 5:00 AM. A necessary time to roll my sleepy head out of bed if I expected to get the couple hundred pounds of snow off my car in time to drive to work.
My first patient was a mature man with a cheesey, self-satisfied grin on his face. I had wanted to smack that smirk off his face for a couple years. This patient and his wife were scamming the system with impunity. This was before Medicare Part D. Vermont Medicaid paid for their drugs with no copay.
Between the two of them, every month, they got 18 prescriptions that totalled over $1200.00. That comes to almost $15,000.00 a year. If this couple had been genuinely in need of all 18 drugs, I would not have a problem, but they took daily doses of stuff like Allegra-D, Flonase and, Celebrex. Medicines that would not cure anything. Still, perhaps they needed all $1,200.000 worth.
Not so! On this stormy winter day, I was in a terrible mood, I asked, “Do you and your wife actually need all of this?”
“We think it helps.” The frikkin’ grin. “Yuck, Yuck, Yuck”.
“What about the Allegra-D?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why do you keep on taking it?”
“It’s free, why not?”
And that my friends is what is going to kill the goose that lays the golden egg. Over-utilization! If we don’t, at least, get it under control someone else will and we are liable to be cashing paychecks written by the federal government.
I knew an elderly woman in Washington State who visited her doctor every Tuesday morning. She took a cab paid for by the state. She took a Thermos of tea. She went early and visited with her friends who saw the doctor every Tuesday. This was a social event for her and her friends. There was no medical reason for the visit, but the doctor still charged Medicare. Have you noticed the financial strain these days? It is crunch time!
The medical community needs to put a stop on this crap or we are done for. $7,000.00+ dollars is spent yearly by the system for medical care for every single American. In Canada, it is a little under $4,000.00. We are heading for a big fall.
Posted By Jim Plagakis At 08:48 AM - (CST)
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Jim:
Over-utilization of expensive services can be a problem, but how can we, the providers, be expected to act as the police? February 27, 2008 - 6:23:13 (CST)
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AUTHOR BIO
Jim Plagakis, RPh
Jim Plagakis, RPh, secured a Bachelor of Science degree in pharmacy in June of 1964. Starting in the mid-1960s, he has practiced pharmacy in Ohio, the San Francisco Bay Area, San Diego, Whidbey Island north of Seattle, and a small New England village in Vermont. Jim and his wife Victoria now live in Galveston, TX, on the Gulf of Mexico. He still works two days a week in an independent pharmacy and doesn’t want to actually retire.
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