By Jarred Jones
Recently I had to undergo several surgeries on my jaw. While the operations eventually were successful, it took three operations to accomplish what should have taken one try.
On top of these excessive operations, I was given a prescription for a painkiller that I was allergic to before the operation even started. Every medical file under my name clearly states I am allergic to acetaminophen.
I fail to understand why after each one of these procedures I was prescribed an acetaminophen-based pain medication. A friend of mine is deathly allergic to penicillin; during a recent hospital visit, the attending doctor took one scan of her file and later on started to give her penicillin. If I hadn’t been present in the room, she would be dead today.
These are just two examples of countless cases in which people I know personally were either given medications that they were allergic to, or when they are taking multiple medications, they are prescribed drugs that have adverse affects when taken together. Obviously, that usually ends up causing more problems.
I just wonder if it’s a lack of concern on the doctor’s part; what’s a few malpractice suits between doctor and patient? Is it a case of an honest mistake, and they just don’t notice the warnings in a file?
Or is it intentional?
When a doctor prescribes some medicine that reacts badly with another one that the patient is currently taking, the patient may have more health problems. As these problems arise because of the badly mixed medicines, the patient has one choice, go back to the doctor.
The doctor can then hand out another prescription, which is more money for the doctor and the pharmaceutical companies. Sometimes I just can’t help but think that doctors do these things on purpose to get more money.
Adding to the snowball effect, in the face of these continued visits because the doctor continues to poison the patient, insurance companies, of course, refuse to pay because in no way possible could so many visits to the doctor be necessary. So the patient ends up paying out-of-pocket for the entire process.
I would just as soon eat rat poison. It’s cheaper and has the same effect as these prescription drugs, just much more efficient.
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