medical blackmail?

I don't know what you mean by medical blackmail, but I think it is the DR's right to insist on seeing you periodically. The DR is responsible for making sure you are being effectively treated and s/he cannot do that if you never go in for a visit.

Your pharmacy might be able to extend you a week or so of your meds, but other than that you're probably out of luck. I'd suggest taking a half day off of work to go see your DR. Surely your work allows you to take off for sick days or doctor visits?

Doesn't sound like blackmail to me. That's just what most doctors do. I see my GI around once every 4 months and he's very nice about refilling my prescriptions. I just have to go see him so he can check my labs and such. You'd just have to go to the dr. You should try and make time for it. That way they can see if everything is going well.

LOL singingsupernurse, I can see why it might come across as medical blackmail, but really it's for your own good, that's the industry standard I believe...I think it would be neglect if a doc just kept throwing meds at you without checking you out physically and monitoring you.

I think there are laws against firing someone due to doc appointments, maybe look into that, beats worrying about losing your job if infact that can't legally happen.

When you do go in for the appt., make the next appt and the one after that at the same time. I go to a teaching hospital clinic. Last April, I made my 6 month appt. for October 2012 and the one for May 2013. All at the same time. They told me LOT of people do this because these docs are booked so far in advance. Worth a try.

Dear big betty,
thanks for the support!:) I appreciate it! pb4, my last job wasn't supposed to let me go b/c of health issues... the problem is I can't prove it. People want nurses who are perfect, not with CD, MS, thyroid cancer and hypopapthyroidism. Believe me, I don't like being me either

I am someone who learned early that employers look at the bottom line and people with crohn's/drs appts/sick days are a liability. After being let go from my job while in the hospital after my second resection (and the reaction of another employer after I told them I had crohn's) I learned to shut my mouth. My employers now have no idea I have crohn's and I have been gainfully employed the last few years. Yes, for those of us lucky/unlucky enough to be able to work/have to work with this disease, juggling work, sick days, dr. appts, test, hospital stays etc...is very stressful, it is a constant stuggle to keep many balls in the air...and do it while not always feeling our best.

I did not intend on "playing" the system. I realize why anyone would think that. My job was not flexable in giving me time off for appointments and the doctor,as you well know, is booked weeks in advance. You notice I say my job was....I quit. I didn't want to tell them of my disabilites, however they wanted a physical and it was spelled out in the physical so what choice did I have? The last schedule they had out, I was working every day, but was turned down for the full-time job with benefits( I was per diem and told by my center director that even if I has a day off, I should expect to be called in...how can you go to MD appoints with a schedule like that?) The straw that broke it was the center was holding a wound symposium, on a Saturday that we weren't going to get paid for. 8 hours on our day off without pay. I probably shot myself in the foot, but between the "if you don't go to lunch, you will be written up" and "if you forget to punch in and out[on computer] you wil be written up"(besides CD, I have MS and sometimes I forget things...the nature of the disease). Sorry about the long post. When I started this(going back to school to get my advanced nursing degree) I thought the Americans with Disabilities Act was going to be in my favor. What a useless piece pf paper.

That is not fair :( we do live in a crappy world.

Jason- I KNOW this, what I am saying is that my job would not give me the time off to see the doctor. That is part of the reason I quit my job,can't be without meds!

We are about to face a (somewhat) similar problem. My mom is the patient, not me, but she doesn't use the internet. Anyhow, while her employer will let her off for appointments because she does have benefits, the clinic she goes to see her primary care provider at is swamped right now due to some sort of computer restructuring. They're telling all patients to try to avoid non-urgent appointments until at least JUNE next year. (Which is ridiculous.) But she's required to get seen at least once every six months in order to continue getting her Rx refills.

She's going to have to try to go somewhere else.

I think people are getting caught up on the term blackmail, because that makes it sound intentional. It seems clear that you know it isn't intentionally being done to you. But it's also clear that you ARE in a catch 22 situation or between a rock and a hard place as we say. It's one of the flaws of the system, sadly. And imo is totally unfair. As is the assumption or suggestion of "playing" the system. People's circumstances vary widely.

Good luck.

Supernurse.... I"m sure this is WAY too late of a reply, but depending on your health insurance you can get a free 7 day starter dose at the pharmacy until things are  straightened out with your doc.  I know it doesn't solve the problem of the doc not letting you in for a whole month, but maybe it will help you or someone else in the future.  As far as your ADA comment.  I wish you had not given up and quit.  More people need to utilize the ADA in order for employers, etc to start taking it seriously.  This population is the only one left that it is LEGAL to discriminate against, and the ADA is the only tool people have to fight it.  If you would have gone to court stating that your employer was not making reasonable accomodations for you or that you felt discrimnated against because of a disability, I'm positive you would win.   

I hope that in the future things will be a little easier for us mere mortal users of the health care system and that some of these hurdles we have to jump through will be eliminated.  It's ridiculous for someone with a chronic disease, a fill time job, family PLUS to have to deal with all of these frustrations ON TOP of trying to keep up with everything else!  I hear you about medical blackmail....

Hope things are getting better!