Clinic did not realize I was on Valium for 3 years

[Just Blue]

I decided to go to the "follow up care" visit at the clinic, out of curiosity, and also because I decided I just don't have the time and energy to pursue legal cases right now.

I noticed everyone was super nice to me. The receptionists and nurses there are never that polite. And while I appreciated this care, I was also apprehensive about it.

The doctor I saw was guarded, asked a few questions, did a quick check up, and I walked out with a script for Valium. They basically reinstated the same treatment plan I was on before someone made the mistake of terminating it.

I think this is what they had planned all along but did not want to tell me. I wished they had just called me up on the phone and said: "Look, we
made a mistake, that doctor who refused to fill the script failed to look at your history, did not know who you were. Just come back to the clinic and
we'll continue the treatment plan. Sorry for the confusion."

But instead, we went back and forth through grievance. They sent me this really carefully worded letter that didn't mean anything. I could get no answers over the phone. And I noticed they never apologized. They regretted any "inconvenience" I experienced or "aggravation," but nothing further. Words like "confusion," "misunderstanding," let alone "mistake," seemed blacklisted or something. Possibly because they are legal snares. Those words always made them nervous.

I do feel like I was maneuvered, like getting me back to the clinic helped them correct their mistake and fix their records. (It in turn benefited me because I get my Valium, you might say). So there was this unspoken bartering. But they really did mess up. I think the mess up was so bad that they could not conceal it. If they was a way they could keep the truth from me, I would never have known what really happened.

I question your assertion that you "benefited" by going back to drug addiction.

 

[quincy]

I question your assertion that you "benefited" by going back to drug addiction.

If the medical problems that led to the Valium prescription being issued in the first place are still present, the drug is probably necessary.

Although most doctors do not prescribe drugs without cause, there are a nefarious few who will.

 

[Paul J.]

In other words, once you went back to the doctor, they did an exam and then reinstated your prescription.

Yes. But they did send one script to my pharmacy prior to this exam.

 

[Paul J.]

With prescription drugs, there should be regular examinations to make sure the drugs are still necessary (or are at the proper dosage).

Refilling prescriptions over and over again without patient contact is one of the areas that is being investigated on the federal level for abuses.

Because you were without Valium for three months, the Clinic should have reexamined you.

If you want to explore this further, you should speak to an attorney in your area. If you are happy now that you have your Valium again, then there is probably not much more to do.

Good luck.

The only problem with this is that I would want them to take responsibility for my withdrawal. That is my pain and suffering. But that does not seem to be a good legal angle.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

Yes. But they did send one script to my pharmacy prior to this exam.

And they probably shouldn't have.

The only problem with this is that I would want them to take responsibility for my withdrawal. That is my pain and suffering. But that does not seem to be a good legal angle.

You really should be finding yourself another Dr. They will not continue to provide this prescription forever without seeing you on a regular basis.

 

[quincy]

The only problem with this is that I would want them to take responsibility for my withdrawal. That is my pain and suffering. But that does not seem to be a good legal angle.

Right. You suffered through withdrawal but the "mistake" that led to the problem with the prescription refill apparently has been resolved.

I do not see you being compensated by the Clinic for your withdrawal from Valium. You can report the Clinic for prescribing drugs without examining you first, though. The downside is that you might lose your "supplier" if the State steps in.

It is up to you. You can review facts with an attorney in your area to explore your options in more depth.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

@Paul J. Did you ever tell us who you filed the grievance with?

 

[quincy]

@Paul J. Did you ever tell us who you filed the grievance with?

That would be good to know. The State would have been unlikely to advise the prescription be refilled.

 

[Zigner]

It sounds like the OP complained to the clinic and the clinic remedied the problem.

 

[quincy]

It sounds like the OP complained to the clinic and the clinic remedied the problem.

That is what I thought in reading the thread.

 

[quincy]

Here is a link to filing a grievance with the State:
https://www.health.ny.gov/professionals/doctors/conduct/frequently_asked_questions.htm#file_a_complaint