I'm so frustrated. Last doctor was Doctor Pill Pusher MD. He retired and I finally got to see the replacement. You could tell he wasn't happy I said no to a booster and no to a flu shot. He wasn't happy I criticized the last dermatologist that incorrectly diagnosed an issue above my eye.

He mentioned my slightly high cholesterol and his first recommendation was a statin. No mention of diet. No talk about exercise. Oh and why the fuck did I fill out a 4 page questionnaire days before the appointment if he didn't know a damn thing that I mentioned in it?

The thing that sucks is you can't communicate with a doctor before you hire them. Your lucky to find a primary with openings, nevermind be able to ask them their philosophy on better health.

Luckily I don't need referrals to specialists so I don't really need the primary except to check my bloodwork and to have my annual physical to make the insurance gods at work give me the annual discount.

They are all just drug dealers. Hell I think they are worse than auto dealer mechanics.

Yeah it sucks. I remember when my long time PCP, retired. He knew I was intelligent, and never wanted to be unnecessarily on scripts. If I was really sick (flu, etc) he’d ask me what I wanted. Antibiotics we would swap, at his recommendation, never doing the same one two times in a row. He’d ask if I wanted the step down steroid pack, due to still wanting to work, go to the gym, or whatever. He’d ask if I wanted a stack of masks (I’ve worn them when in public for 20 years when I’m sick). Then he retired out of the blue, with no warnings, etc. Man that sucked.

So like you I had to go find a replacement. Went through several dudes until my current PCP now who I’ve been with for a decade. And I don’t think he’ll keep working much longer. Probably 3-4 years and I’ll have to do it again. If you don’t like your new guy, fuck him. Go shopping. I did. It wasn’t a lot of fun but your health, your body, find the right doctor who you can trust. Shit my PCP is my gateway to other doctors and he lets me choose who I want I to see, makes recommendations, but ultimately lets me decide. Annual physical along with blood and urine for health checks next Thursday.

Same problem.
My last PC Doc was an old school doc that did still believe in some of the old school cholesterol myths.
I don't hold that against him, he was dedicated, very intelligent and highly experience also a friend but didn't overly prescribe pills.
He retired and I have a young gal than is basically just there to push shots and pills.
I just go for an annual to get the bloodwork done with insurance.
Zero understanding of lipids or perhaps just doesn't care.
You sometimes just have to look out for yourself.

Good luck!

Trying for a year to find one for my dad.

His guy for 15 years retired without warning.
No problem, go with one of the other guys in the practice, right? Nope, second guy retired, third guy died, fourth guy moved.

The next one got vocal chord cancer or some such, and stopped seeing patients for three months.
The next guy was supposed to be moving here in a few weeks. That turned into three months.

While my dad spent 8 days in the hospital because he doesn’t have a PCP keeping track of his numbers, we got a recommendation for yet another doctor. Still waiting for a first visit with him.

I can’t even find a concierge Dr. locally. At this rate, it maybe faster for me to go to med. school. Nurse practitioner only takes four years, right?

I was with my primary care physician for over two and a half decades. Originally he was with a group of MDs who had their own large clinic. Then they were bought out by a regional entity. Over the years the entity's administration has become more problematic for practitioners. After 10 nurses bailed to other employers at his location because of their treatment by admin, he joined their ranks. He opted for the local VA which has a very good reputation and a brand new clinic complex in Rapid City. I would have followed him but I have no service related disabilities, so.... Thankfully his relief has proved to be a very competent, caring, intelligent doctor that I'm pleased with. And yes, before our first visit he had reviewed my history in detail. No questionnaire needed.

When asking my history I told this doctor my dad had a heart attack and died at 72. He said, "You don't want die that young. I told him it's better than being my mom, who took all the pills, is alive at 87, doesn't know who she is or who I am and shits herself 3X a day for the last 10 years.

Yeah, when I go I want it to be quick and I want to be coherent.

My PCP retired almost 10 years ago. Haven't found a new one but my cardiologist runs some extra blood work every year to fill in the gap. Since my primary issue is a bad ticker, I consider him as primary, and I don't get any vaccine sales speeches. Works for me.

Working in health care it was easier for me. First, make sure he or she is in Network. Then find someone twenty years younger than yourself that has ties to the community. Take up tennis or golf or go to the gun range and socialize. You will quickly find out if they have social skills. Then ask around. My internist has same day appointments if you call by 8:30. Refills prescriptions the same day and calls you the same day about bloodwork or X rays. He allows plenty of disagreement about how to treat a condition. I waited a year to get into his practice and I am satisfied. Although his paycheck comes from the hospital he will make referrals to competing concerns.

Yeah, I have yet to pick a new provider myself. The organization I have to use due to insurance has changed a lot, and so many Drs and NPs have or are leaving it’s not funny. I have had 5 different Drs in the last, say 10 years, cause they keep leaving. I’m getting tired of picking one, and maybe have them for a couple years if I’m lucky, and poof, they’re gone. The last one I picked, I only got to see him twice as he suddenly left. No warning either.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
More than 50 percent of docs work for a hospital or corporation. Older physicians tire of administration sticking their nose in the clinic. Only a few docs can run a concierge practice.

quote:

Originally posted by frayedends:
They are all just drug dealers.

You have to consider that this is exactly what a majority of patients want. If they don't get what they want, they complain, or worse, sue. This looks bad.

People (the vast majority of them) don't want to be told to work on their cholesterol/diabetes/obesity by exercise and diet, they don't want to be told to work on their back pain with PT/core work, etc.... The American healthcare consumer wants a pill once a day to cure what ails them without having to deal with that whole personal responsibility to live a healthy lifestyle crap.

Funny because while he was trying to sell me a statin, Covid booster, and flu vaccine, the subject of where I work came up. I told him I am a quality auditor for a major biopharm company. I told him the name. I said I would not take a statin or any of those vaccines. All of which my company produces. I sort of gave him a nod/wink and said “if that says anything “.

Only reason I don’t mention my company on here is I am mandated to report any adverse event I may hear. If I said online where I work I’m likely to hear of more adverse events than I want.

quote:

Originally posted by frayedends:
They are all just drug dealers.

^^^^^^^^^^
I have never had that problem,ever, and I have seen plenty of doctors. Besides a free lunch, Pharma reps do not want to dole out other additional stuff. I assume you are aware of the website that details the money every doctor makes from Pharma.

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
Good luck!

Trying for a year to find one for my dad.

His guy for 15 years retired without warning.
No problem, go with one of the other guys in the practice, right? Nope, second guy retired, third guy died, fourth guy moved.

The next one got vocal chord cancer or some such, and stopped seeing patients for three months.
The next guy was supposed to be moving here in a few weeks. That turned into three months.

While my dad spent 8 days in the hospital because he doesn’t have a PCP keeping track of his numbers, we got a recommendation for yet another doctor. Still waiting for a first visit with him.

I can’t even find a concierge Dr. locally. At this rate, it maybe faster for me to go to med. school. Nurse practitioner only takes four years, right?

I may be able to assist if Ft Myers is not too far. Email in profile.

My doc retired and my pcp now is a CNP. She’s ok but not as good as the old doc. Experience is everything.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:

quote:

Originally posted by frayedends:
They are all just drug dealers.

^^^^^^^^^^
I have never had that problem,ever, and I have seen plenty of doctors. Besides a free lunch, Pharma reps do not want to dole out other additional stuff. I assume you are aware of the website that details the money every doctor makes from Pharma.

I've worked in Pharma for 28 years. We take lots of training on how we can't pay the doctors. Not that I'm in a position like that, but we have to take the trainings anyhow. Funny how we need to train yearly on how we can't pay or spend any money on sales to doctors, but our sales people are visiting doctors all the time.

Anyhow, not all doctors are pill pushers. Maybe they aren't in the drug dealing for the money. Maybe they just don't know any better. They just learn what symptoms take what drugs and nothing else. I had a great doc about 10 years ago and I was sad when she moved away.

quote:

Originally posted by frayedends:

Only reason I don’t mention my company on here is I am mandated to report any adverse event I may hear. If I said online where I work I’m likely to hear of more adverse events than I want.

Yep. My whole career was with pharmaceutical and medical devices manufacturing companies. Every year we had to go through computer training with pass/fail exams. You let a training lapse and you get to talk with the V.P. over your department.

quote:

Originally posted by Rey HRH:

quote:

Originally posted by frayedends:

Only reason I don’t mention my company on here is I am mandated to report any adverse event I may hear. If I said online where I work I’m likely to hear of more adverse events than I want.

Yep. My whole career was with pharmaceutical and medical devices manufacturing companies. Every year we had to go through computer training with pass/fail exams. You let a training lapse and you get to talk with the V.P. over your department.

We have numerous mandated corporate trainings with due dates. If we miss a due date we don't receive a raise and we don't get our bonus. The trainings include this ethics/payment policy, sexual harrassment, pharmacovigilance (including reporting adverse events), and a few others I can't remember. It's a big pain in the ass because most of the trainings are directed to the sales force, but we have to take them anyway.

But as an example to folks on the forum, if there is a thread with "Does your allergy medicine give you hives?" and someone posts that they get hives from one of the meds my company makes, I am required to report it to our pharmacovigilance department with as much or little info as I can get.

quote:

Originally posted by frayedends:


We have numerous mandated corporate trainings with due dates. If we miss a due date we don't receive a raise and we don't get our bonus. The trainings include this ethics/payment policy, sexual harrassment, pharmacovigilance (including reporting adverse events), and a few others I can't remember. It's a big pain in the ass because most of the trainings are directed to the sales force, but we have to take them anyway.

But as an example to folks on the forum, if there is a thread with "Does your allergy medicine give you hives?" and someone posts that they get hives from one of the meds my company makes, I am required to report it to our pharmacovigilance department with as much or little info as I can get.

Yep, I think you're supposed to go out of your way to get as much info as you can get and report it within 24 hours. I think it's easier for them to say everybody has to take all the training. I worked in supply chain but I still have to take the training on what goodies or meals I can give to providers and who I can't give any to as if I would ever face a doctor. It was interesting to go over the countries that wasn't supposed to get any product and the actual recent examples of companies and people who did get into trouble.

Your company must have effed up big time in the past to tie training with raises and bonuses. Ours was like unless you were on an extended vacation then you had to go see the VP and have a talk just to convey how important it was. But before that, you get notifications of upcoming training deadlines and your manager got a report on upcoming deadlines.

But to the point about the difficulty of getting a PCP, be glad you don't live where I am. There's a dearth of PCPs in the area and some charge a "concierge fee" just to take you in as a patient. If you're not willing to pay the fee, your choice among competent PCPs are Nurse Practitioners who are more competent and caring than the doctors who don't charge a fee. It answered the question for me as to why not all doctors charge that concierge fee. For specialists work, you have to drive about 2 hours to Phoenix or Scottsdale. The specialists just keep office hours here to triage you.

quote:

But as an example to folks on the forum, if there is a thread with "Does your allergy medicine give you hives?" and someone posts that they get hives from one of the meds my company makes, I am required to report it to our pharmacovigilance department with as much or little info as I can get.

Seems to me that reporting information like this would be extremely unreliable.
Any company that considers such would not be one I would trust.