PS refuses to write order for my current meds while hospitalized

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I just found out my PS will not be writing an order for my regular daily meds that need to be taken daily for my health. I will be in the hospital for 2 days with my thyroid med, heart med, esophageal spasm med, asthma meds and the list goes on. He says he won't be responsible for meds he didn't prescribe and the BS will not be following me when he's does his surgery. So what is a person supposed to do 5 days out from surgery knowing you won't have required meds that need to be taken daily? There are some I can skip for a couple of days but I take many meds for health issues. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Comments

  • Noni
    Noni Member Posts: 327
    edited May 2016

    I had to provide the hospital with my current med list. I update it with them every time I go in for a test or procedure. The nurses and hospitalists will know what you need and take care of it for you.

  • I_Spy
    I_Spy Member Posts: 507
    edited May 2016

    Yes I agree: don't worry. If you like, to be sure, bring the bottles (they won't want you to take any from your bottles, but bring them) to show the nurse when you check in what you take. They will make sure you get the medicine you need; that is one thing hospitals are good for: getting the good drugs!

  • Artista928
    Artista928 Member Posts: 2,753
    edited May 2016

    I would take my bottles with me. I did that when hosp said we don't have celexa but lexapro. I wasn't about to find out if there's a diff so they took my bottle but gave me the 1 a day I needed, and gave back the bottle on d/c.

  • dtad
    dtad Member Posts: 2,323
    edited May 2016

    Thats just ridiculous! There should be a doc there that will prescribe your regular meds. Its malpractice not to have them available to you. That being said I would take them with you! Good luck...

  • muska
    muska Member Posts: 1,195
    edited May 2016

    I think there is some miscommunication here. You will provide the hospital with the list of medications you are taking, the hospital staff - not necessarily the BS - will make sure you are given the medications while you are admitted. I suppose they have to make sure the list you give them is valid and will somehow confirm it.

  • quinnofmn
    quinnofmn Member Posts: 64
    edited May 2016

    I found it was the hospitalists job to provide the medication I take. The hospital does have my medication list.

  • LisaAlissa
    LisaAlissa Member Posts: 1,092
    edited May 2016

    Is there a nurse navigator at the hospital where you'll be? Try talking with that person, they should be able to walk you through any things you need to do to have each of the meds reviewed. There may be some meds that need to be suspended or altered during the period immediately before and immediately after your surgery.

    If there isn't a nurse navigator, I'd start with your surgeon's scheduler.

    Here's what I did in connection with a family member's recent surgery (he has a large collection of regular prescriptions).

    Started with the surgeons involved in the upcoming surgery. They provided pre-surgery instructions which included info about any meds they want suspended before surgery, as well as how soon after surgery you can resume them.

    Then (as a part of the pre-surgery physical) from the PCP, we discussed the drugs the surgeon wanted suspended before surgery. There were some he didn't want suspended for as long as the surgeon suggested. He ordered what he called "bridging therapy" injections in the day and a half before surgery in connection with one of them. The PCP coordinated with prescribing specialists, as well as getting back to the surgeons with details about handling meds (including his orders for the "bridging med").

    Ask if you will see your PCP provider at the hospital, or if a hospitalist team handles his patients while hospitalized.

    If your PCP won't handle coordinating all of that with any specialists who have prescribed, you may need to take the coordinating role (if the navigator/surgery scheduler hasn't suggested a different procedure) and communicate with each of your prescribing docs about your upcoming surgery, so that they can weigh in on whether or not the meds they've prescribed can be suspended/must be continued, etc. as detailed in your pre-surgery instructions from the surgeon.

    When he checked in, the person overseeing his care (his PCP has the hospitalist team handling his patients while they are hospitalized), reviewed the med list and ID'd meds that needed to be continued and those that should be suspended based on the surgery, etc.

    HTH,

    LisaAlissa

  • GinaSC
    GinaSC Member Posts: 18
    edited May 2016

    thank you all for your advice and suggestions. I always have a current meds list & planned to take the meds with me to the hospital. My PCP called the office manager who backtracked on what I was told and there was some miscommunication. My PS would be ordering all my meds the day of my surgery. My PCP the NP was just being an a.. When she talked to me. I have a great advocate and she is my PCP.

    FYI: I spoke with my nurse navigator who was sure my BS would handle the order but their office said they didn't want to step on any toes since the two surgeons worked together so he wouldn't write the order either. Talk about an extremely stressful day. But it's all good. I just forgot God is in control

  • sas-schatzi
    sas-schatzi Member Posts: 19,603
    edited May 2016

    It's a smart doc that doesn't handle stuff they don't know about, but they should do either of the following methods

    In hospitals that have Hospitalists whomever writes the admission orders to the surgical floor, the order should be written as follows.

    ....................1. Hospitalist to follow patient for medical management

    In hospitals that don't have hospitalist, your PCP either sees their own patients when admitted or contracts with a doc that makes hospital rounds. You will have to call and ask the reception at your PCP's if the do hospital rounds(sees patients the hospital) if they don't ask for the name of the doc that covers for them.

    In the hospital after surgery the whomever writes the orders for transfer from the recovery to surgical floor writes as follows.

    .....................1. Doctor Smith to follow patient for medical management

    ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

    In the mid 2000's Joint Commission made a rule. At each movement from one service i.e transfer, of the hospital to another a Medical Reconcilliation form is completed. Your drug list will be on your chart.

    Medical management includes all your medicines that are not prescribed by your PS/BS. PS BS usually take care of all meds related to the surgery i.e pain meds, antibiotics, and a few others, but I want to keep this simple.


  • sas-schatzi
    sas-schatzi Member Posts: 19,603
    edited August 2016

    I didn't want to overburden the last post. Some facilities are allowing patients to bring their own drugs into the hospital. They are then sent by the nurse to the pharmacy for identification. They are then kept in the patients med container. This is a safety rule b/c if you are under the influence of a mind altering drug, you may take them improperly. Also, remember to clue in the person driving you home to ask for the meds. You may be happily oblivious :) and forget.


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