My uninformed GP!

[Guest guest]

Just thought I would share my experience and have a rant about my GP visit

yesterday. (Sorry its a bit long)

As I'm off work I needed to get a sick note (or fit note as they are now called)

The GP that I saw who looked fresh out of Med school, and wet behind the ears!

commented that I was now on a very strange drug (prescribed by my

endocrinologist) and wondered why I was on such a drug as he had never heard of

it. He also wondered why I was seeing an Endo in a much smaller hospital(I live

in a large city with several Hospitals and lots of Endos but not one on Sheila's

list!) The drug is Efra Thyroid, my Endo who I see seeing privately recently

prescribed it for me and obviously sent a letter to my GP practice to keep them

informed. When I explained about Erfa and how it was the medication of choice

for Hypo until Big Pharma stepped in and decided that only Thyroxine could now

do the job, he laughed! He said that he once worked for Big Pharma (I was

thinking but you still do!!) and that although a lot of people have a negative

view of it, it does indeed do a lot of good. He said that as far as he was

taught at Med school Thyroxine was the only drug for hypothyroidism. I suggested

that he should do some reading around the subject to see how many people are

being kept in poor health because there is ignorance around the treatment of

thyroid disease and I also suggested some literature he should read! He said

that as it is not his speciality he leaves that to the Endos! In response to

that I reminded him that he was the first port of call for patients and if he

was not informed then his patients would not be getting the service they

deserve.

When I asked him to run some blood tests and listed the ones I wanted - e.g B12,

Ferritin, zinc etc, he suggested sarcastically that if he gave me the form I

could write the list myself!! I said I would happily do that, and that I hoped

he was not taking a negative view of a patient who was interested and informed

about their own health. He then became very appologetic and more humble! I came

out feeling exhausted as if I had gone 10 rounds with whichever boxer is in

vogue at the moment! just thought I would share this experience and give

encouragement to anyone who needs it.

Han