Does medication dosage get put into file?

IS THE DR. SUPPOSED TO WRITE DOWN DOSAGE OF MEDS THEY GIVE YOU IN YOUR FILE? Or am I supposed to tell exactly what I need every time I see Dr.? Whose in charge prescribing? My Dr. is driving me nuts! I wrote here last week about pharmacy screwup only to trace it back to my Dr. This AM I get call from the clinic saying I screwed it up. No I most certainly did not! Yes, I can own up to my mistakes, but this is one I didn’t screw up on. Dosage was 2.5mg twice daily, what I got was 5mg twice daily. I know for fact I didn’t say 5mg, I wrote it down on paper(2.5mg twice daily) when Dr. said we were changing it. This really sucks. I am supposed to see Dr. this Friday. Not looking forward to it.The nurse repeated the instructions to me 3x like I don’t know what I’m doing. Makes me mad. Especially when I’m the one who noticed the mistake. Sorry just frustrated.hb

Yep, doctors are legally required to keep records on meds.

Either the doctor’s office faxes the Rx to the pharmacy, or has someone in his/her office call in the Rx to the pharmacy, unless you bring the written Rx in yourself. They make mistakes, so you’re smart to always check what you’re given.

Yes, docs need to keep ur prescribed dosages in their files. When you meet w them, they are supposed to go over ur dosages and see how they’re working for you- if you’ve changed anything on ur own (not recommended usually) and etc. Ur doc is in charge of keeping ur records up to date and notifying pharmacies. It’s what we pay them for.

Smart to check ur dosages. Doctors make mistakes too.

Yes, they are supposed to write all this stuff down, but I trust no one. I always hand every doctor a summary of the medications I am taking, all of them. I check everything, the Rx I get, the billing sheets, the test orders, and the diagnostic codes. I make enough mistakes myself, I don’t need further complications.

One thing that you might want to do is start keeping a copy of the prescriptions you get (or a scan) and that way you have a record. Once you give up that Rx to the pharmacy, you will never see it again.

ps. I also keep copies of all my test results.

smart! Yes. I agree. My doc always interchanges my scripts in my file. He will write Novolog when I’m taking Humalog or write Lantus when i’m taking Levemir. I understand that to a person who isn’t on these meds, they seem like they’re the same thing- but they’re NOT. So when I refill my scripts at the pharmacy, I always check the meds they give me before I leave the store.

Endocronologist or Primary Care Physician?

Primary care physician. My endocrinologist refuses to write perscriptions. I have to tell her every time I go there what I’m on. Endo tells the Dr. what to tryand how much to take and I get it from him. He called her office last time I was there and talked to nother Dr. in her office and got permission to up it ABIT.
I have always trusted him in everything. he is good Dr. But maybe it is time to keep copies of records. So annoying!
Thanks for replys.

Yes, the MD or DO or DDS or whoever is responsible.
But that doesn’t make any of us patients less responsible.
I’m with bsc on this one.
I take in (1) a list of every med I’m on including vitamins, insulin etc. Listed the way they do with the dosage and how often.
and (2) a list exactly the way a prescription should read of every prescription I want.
I put it in writing because that way there’s less errors and no misunderstanding.
I think we have to keep everything straight for ourselves and our doctors, too.
It helps them and it helps us in the long run.
And it keeps time free for any discussion.

I keep all my meds in a cloth bag (it has a zipper vs pull tie). I take this with me to any dr visit. When I have a working printer, I use a print out but unless I remember to update any changes, it’s useless. I keep another file of diagnoses (including rule-outs), surgeries, treatments I have tried and how they worked. And dates of everything. And family history. Any time I see a new doc, I hand that in. That way when I have to fill out all those forms, I just write in “See attached”.

Yes, they are to keep a record because they are legally responsible for it. They have to keep a record of every 'script they write, I would assume. Mine has an extensive list and every once in a while, we go through and take out the ones that are no longer active. Even then, they are just archived 'cause we’ve gone back and looked at prior doses of various meds.

Maybe the pharmacy can give you a print-out?

My Drs. write out the prescriptions and I give it to the Pharmacist. She looks over it to make sure it is okay for me and that it will not interact/interfer with other drugs that I am on.

I noticed 2 of my Drs.(perhaps more) make out duplicate perscriptions and put it in my file. That way when I run out, they can just fax the duplicate to the Pharmacy to be filled. That way they also know that I got my medications.

I do control my dosages and suggest different medications occasionally since I live with this disease and I know me Best. So I always tell the Nurse at the Drs. office any changes that I have made and she writes it in my file so my Dr and I can discuss it and my conditions. They always ask.

I have a 3 ring binder with almost everything in it. Apparently I’m missing some stuff. My Dr.s won’t look at my binder though. Just the pages that have my BG numbers. They think they have all the info they need on their computers. What ever I have is mine and if I write their info wrong in my binder they won’t be responsible. I have a handicap that makes me work harder at this disesase then most people. I write things down and get it double, even triple checked before it goes into binder so I don’t make any mistakes. I did however forget to pick up the perscription on way out the door. So maybe we could have gotton the mistake fixed then, but he still wrote the wrong dosage.Then he blames me for the screwup. I don’t get it.I will be getting copies of any papers I recieve. I do have my own photocopier so I will take advantage of it. Thanks for help.hb

Fire the inept medical team. Their incompetence may kill you!

Thought about firing and relocating. But this morning appt was a surprise, as the Dr. came in apoligizing over and over. said he doesn’t know why he ever doubts me I’m always right. That was so good to hear. The nurse on the other hand was kinda scared and waited till we were in the waiting room after to get my papers to put into my file.Usually she does that first before I see the Dr. . My file got updated and piles of stuff that was not to be there that screwed everything up got thrown out and deleted. It was triple checked while I sat there and he read everything that left in file. Apparently the blame got traced to the dietitian. She is no longer in my care as of today. Gonna find another one. Got another perscription and this time I checked it and got copy! it’s in my binder. No more mistakes and the Dr. knows when I say something, He will listen. Thanks for help.hb

Your doc still uses paper patient files? Wow. I didn’t know some still do that. Every doc I’ve been to now has computers. Even the nurses carry them. Everything is scanned in. Somewhere I’m sure there’s a paper backup of everything. Whenever I need a copy of something, the doc taps with the stylus and the printer in the room spits it out.

That said, I get twitchy with my health being dependent on the server working and the power being on!

Really. I saw my endo in Jan. Had them copy my new insurance card, but they lost the paper. I called to give them the new number, no go, they need a paper copy for my file. I email the electronic scan, but they use some archaic email. I have to print it off my computer and fax it over to them. I am just happy I did not have to mail it in. And to top it all off, my endo dictates the summary of our visit, “Right in front of me.” In one sense, I find it offensive, in another, it is just another opportunity for me to “correct” him.

yes, they still use paper copies,but most of it goes onto computer. My sheets with BG numbers gets put into folder. I guess they save it and transfer when they have time. Either way they don’t have the papers that screwed up my perscription any more. I saw them go! I come from small town community. Not to updated yet but they are trying. I got my first computerized perscription today. He always wrote them out for me before. He now uses that pad for writing notes on the back. Kinda funny. oh well, everything is better now. : )

Wow my primary wont touch insulin scripts with a 10 foot pole… talk about a reversal…
Really a PITA when i can get ahold of him/her and not the endo, or the pharmacy calls his office instead of the endo’s.

Hey… its always good to keep copies of your own records… and if they give you a hard time, decide with your feet and go elsewhere… I honestly expect some gaps in my own personal records, and the doctors own records. but they should generally be close/match…

My son’s Pediatric Endocronologist office has a nurse educator for the new parents of Type 1 Diabetes patients. My son was just diagnosed Jan. 19 and he is 9. She was asking me what dosage I was giving Michael (my son) but she explained that they do that to make sure I was following instructions. She was very good humored and kind about it. I would have screwed up if I wasn’t having it drilled in my head. Thanks for the warning. I better start writing things down just in case. You just can’t trust anyone with your kids. No one loves them like we do. In my case, I think they were just drilling me but in your case, it sounds fishy. Hang in there, hb!

My prescriptions get Emailed to the pharmacy so I don’t know if they are wrong til I go to pick them up. And Walgreen’s is not customer friendly, i.e., never think to call the doctor back if something doesn’t look right.