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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Deneb on July 20, 2009, at 22:11:05
I ran out of med last week and didn't have any refills. I had to get the pharmacy to fax a request to my pdoc and my pdoc faxed back the prescription.
She told me next time I should ask for a prescription during session. She said it costs $20 to fax a prescription but she would waive the fee for me this time.
Is it normal to be charged for a prescription like that?
Posted by olivepit on July 20, 2009, at 23:04:17
In reply to Is it normal for pdoc to charge $20 for ..., posted by Deneb on July 20, 2009, at 22:11:05
I have never been charged and I do fax requests all the time. Maybe she has a different system.
Posted by LadyBug on July 20, 2009, at 23:23:13
In reply to Is it normal for pdoc to charge $20 for ..., posted by Deneb on July 20, 2009, at 22:11:05
That sounds weird to me. Never heard of this. I know the pharmacy doesn't charge the doctor a fee to fax so how does it cost anything at all? Some people make stuff up because they are too lazy and don't want to do anything that requires extra work.
JMHO
Posted by Deneb on July 20, 2009, at 23:33:51
In reply to Re: Is it normal for pdoc to charge $20 for ..., posted by LadyBug on July 20, 2009, at 23:23:13
Yeah, I suspect it is because it is extra work she is not being paid for. I also have to pay if I miss a session, it is $50 if I am a student and $100 if I am not a student.
My pdoc doesn't provide any extra services. I can't phone her, I can't e-mail her. She is my therapist. I wish I could e-mail her sometimes.
I hear about other people phoning their therapists. I wish I could do that.
Posted by Deneb on July 20, 2009, at 23:58:22
In reply to Re: Is it normal for pdoc to charge $20 for ..., posted by Deneb on July 20, 2009, at 23:33:51
I am having thoughts that my pdoc doesn't really care about me. Help.
Posted by Dinah on July 21, 2009, at 7:29:10
In reply to Re: Is it normal for pdoc to charge $20 for ..., posted by Deneb on July 20, 2009, at 23:58:22
I don't think that it means she doesn't care about you. Both of those things, charging for when you don't show up, or when you don't follow her rules about prescriptions, sound to me more like a way to encourage you to take her and your work together seriously. Which I'm sure you do, but it might be something important to her.
I wish you could call between sessions if you need to as well. Have you ever asked her about it? You might find she has someone filling in for her after hours, at least. Perhaps it's because she's mostly a pdoc who also does therapy? Still, I can't imagine she doesn't have something in place for emergencies.
Different therapists have different boundaries. My therapist reminds me that the boundaries are what enable him to care on a long term consistent basis, and that is true in any relationship - therapy or not. I don't care much for that reminder, but he is right I fear.
Posted by rskontos on July 21, 2009, at 18:50:19
In reply to Re: Is it normal for pdoc to charge $20 for ... » Deneb, posted by Dinah on July 21, 2009, at 7:29:10
> I don't think that it means she doesn't care about you. Both of those things, charging for when you don't show up, or when you don't follow her rules about prescriptions, sound to me more like a way to encourage you to take her and your work together seriously. Which I'm sure you do, but it might be something important to her.
>
> I wish you could call between sessions if you need to as well. Have you ever asked her about it? You might find she has someone filling in for her after hours, at least. Perhaps it's because she's mostly a pdoc who also does therapy? Still, I can't imagine she doesn't have something in place for emergencies.............I have a pdoc that does my therapy and my meds and I can call him anytime, and have, and email him. I think it is up to the individual. My other therapist who wasn't a pdoc, nor a Phd she was a LSW she did not allow calls. Go figure.
Now mind you I rarely call my therapist/p-doc although he reminds me after each session I can call or email anytime. Nor does he charge me for after hours requests for meds since I am so forgetful and sometimes too anxious to always remember to ask for refills.
I think Deneb, you should talk more openly about calls etc and how you might find them helpful but would not overdo it. It might not resolve it the way you want to but at least you are getting more information and might arrive at a compromise.rsk
Posted by Deneb on July 21, 2009, at 19:34:08
In reply to Re: Is it normal for pdoc to charge $20 for ... » Deneb, posted by Dinah on July 21, 2009, at 7:29:10
> I don't think that it means she doesn't care about you. Both of those things, charging for when you don't show up, or when you don't follow her rules about prescriptions, sound to me more like a way to encourage you to take her and your work together seriously. Which I'm sure you do, but it might be something important to her.
She waived the fee for me this time so maybe that is how she shows she cares too. Maybe it's a boundaries thing with her.
>
> I wish you could call between sessions if you need to as well. Have you ever asked her about it? You might find she has someone filling in for her after hours, at least. Perhaps it's because she's mostly a pdoc who also does therapy? Still, I can't imagine she doesn't have something in place for emergencies.On the reception desk there are a lot of cards with the mental health crisis line on them. I think we are supposed to call them when we are in crisis. I think in emergencies we are supposed to go to the ER.
>
> Different therapists have different boundaries. My therapist reminds me that the boundaries are what enable him to care on a long term consistent basis, and that is true in any relationship - therapy or not. I don't care much for that reminder, but he is right I fear.
Posted by Deneb on July 21, 2009, at 19:37:13
In reply to Re: Is it normal for pdoc to charge $20 for ..., posted by rskontos on July 21, 2009, at 18:50:19
I don't think my pdoc will answer phone calls outside of office hours. I think we are supposed to call the mental health crisis line if we are in crisis.
I might bring it up next time though. I'll let her know a lot of Babblers are able to contact their T's in crisis and I'll let you know what she says about that.
I suspect she wants me to deal with crises myself. I have to self soothe.
Posted by rskontos on July 22, 2009, at 12:45:11
In reply to Re: Is it normal for pdoc to charge $20 for ... » rskontos, posted by Deneb on July 21, 2009, at 19:37:13
> I don't think my pdoc will answer phone calls outside of office hours. I think we are supposed to call the mental health crisis line if we are in crisis.
>
> I might bring it up next time though. I'll let her know a lot of Babblers are able to contact their T's in crisis and I'll let you know what she says about that.
>
> I suspect she wants me to deal with crises myself. I have to self soothe.>>>I understand that her wanting you too deal with things yourself but to have extra support sometimes with things that overwhelm you I don't think is too much to ask. But to let her know that you still feel at times a need to have her support maybe will help her help you better. I try myself to deal with things too and I only call my p-doc when like I ended up in ER with a massive panic attack (did not recognize it for what it was) and my p-doc scheduled an emergency session that helped me.
I think if you explain how much knowing your options and what to do when things just get so bad. I understand not answering phone calls outside of hours so she can have a private life but feeling cut off is often the very thing we go to them to help us with and if we feel cut off from them in times of great stress then some coping strategies is helpful.
Good luck.
rsk
>
>
Posted by Phillipa on July 22, 2009, at 13:11:33
In reply to Re: Is it normal for pdoc to charge $20 for ... » Deneb, posted by rskontos on July 22, 2009, at 12:45:11
Deneb any pdoc or therapist I've had present or past. The therapists have crisis line numbers on answering machines to call. Last therapist one liner e-mails infrequently. Pdocs always call back from nurses. Except my current one who drive six hours to see and was in the car accident in April and probably retiring allowed me to call her and talk as we live so far away. I have no idea what to do when see her PA when she says well she's not coming back. Intellecturally understand trauma at age 72 isn't good. Love Phillipa sorry to get into my own stuff this kind of triggered it.
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