I am receiving telephone enquiries for acute prescriptions from patients
that I do NOT see on a regular basis. In some cases these patients have a
kit of remedies so do not need to get them from me. I would be interested in
how to word in my charging schedule that these acute telephone consultations
entail a charge. I don't charge for any telephone enquiries from patients
that I see on a regular basis.
All suggestions appreciated.
Regards,
Rochelle
www.rochellemarsden.co.uk
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telephone prescriptions
Re: telephone prescriptions
Hi Chris,
I understand what you are saying and do get them in when I can but this
latest one was to do with teeth abscesses which the dentist won't deal with
until the infection has cleared. The patient didn't want to take anti
biotics that were prescribed. I don't really think in this case it would
have helped to have had the patient in.
Re home visits I currently have 2 patients. One has just had a bunion op
(un related to what I am treating her for) and is house bound and the other
is a frail woman age 82 who is also house bound. I have also on occasions
gone into a nursing home to treat someone when the nurse in charge phoned
me. I charge my local rate as they are local calls. I have also been known
to go out to sick children if they are regular patients. I charge my usual
rate for a follow up consultation.
Regards,
Rochelle
www.rochellemarsden.co.uk
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I understand what you are saying and do get them in when I can but this
latest one was to do with teeth abscesses which the dentist won't deal with
until the infection has cleared. The patient didn't want to take anti
biotics that were prescribed. I don't really think in this case it would
have helped to have had the patient in.
Re home visits I currently have 2 patients. One has just had a bunion op
(un related to what I am treating her for) and is house bound and the other
is a frail woman age 82 who is also house bound. I have also on occasions
gone into a nursing home to treat someone when the nurse in charge phoned
me. I charge my local rate as they are local calls. I have also been known
to go out to sick children if they are regular patients. I charge my usual
rate for a follow up consultation.
Regards,
Rochelle
www.rochellemarsden.co.uk
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Tanya Marquette
- Posts: 5602
- Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2001 11:00 pm
Re: telephone prescriptions
state your fees clearly and that you charge for telephone consultations. later if you do a
quick follow up over the phone with a patient, you can chose not to charge them.
tanya
quick follow up over the phone with a patient, you can chose not to charge them.
tanya
Re: telephone prescriptions
It's just come to me how I could word it.
"telephone consultations outside regular appointments" The charge would
depend on the complexity i.e. how long I have to spend working on it!! I
could write £x - £y depending on complexity.
Regards,
Rochelle
www.rochellemarsden.co.uk
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"telephone consultations outside regular appointments" The charge would
depend on the complexity i.e. how long I have to spend working on it!! I
could write £x - £y depending on complexity.
Regards,
Rochelle
www.rochellemarsden.co.uk
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Chris_Gillen
- Posts: 287
- Joined: Wed Jun 12, 2002 10:00 pm
Re: telephone prescriptions
Not the answer you probably want to hear, but I tell them I don't treat
patients without a consultation. I don't care what sort of homekit they
have. If they can't understand the advice given in the homekit, then they
are better off seeing a practitioner in person.
I find this custom of ringing up practitioners just to get a remedy absurd.
I don't think they ring up a doctor and say 'my kid's got an ear infection,
can I get some Amoxyl from you, I don't need a consultation'.
Do you do home visits?
Chris
patients without a consultation. I don't care what sort of homekit they
have. If they can't understand the advice given in the homekit, then they
are better off seeing a practitioner in person.
I find this custom of ringing up practitioners just to get a remedy absurd.
I don't think they ring up a doctor and say 'my kid's got an ear infection,
can I get some Amoxyl from you, I don't need a consultation'.
Do you do home visits?
Chris
-
terry.j.white
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2001 11:00 pm
Re: telephone prescriptions
One practioner I know, establishes the grounds rules as - if you have not had a personla consultation in the last 3 months, he insits on an in person consultation. No advice is given unless the person has a file!
Terry
Terry
-
Nancy Siciliana
- Posts: 160
- Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2001 10:00 pm
Re: telephone prescriptions
Hi Rochelle,
I agree with Chris--doing this stuff over the phone with people whose cases
aren't well known to you is really guesswork. Just the same, many people
want plenty of things for free. I had many people call me for "remedy
suggestions" this way when I first opened my office. I was very frustrated
with their requests for quite a while!
The thing to do is charge a per-block-of-time rate which matches what you
charge for in-person consultations and announce this charge on the phone and
in your phone message (when you can't answer) right up front (eg. If you
charge x amount of money per hour, and usually spend about 20 minutes on the
phone when you do consult with your known patients, divide your hourly rate
into thirds and charge that amount. Ensure the caller knows you must
collect payment before you start.) Post this rate on your fee board as well
so that everyone is aware of this fee (you can decide later whether or not
you will actually charge the patients you do see in consultation regularly
for phone work).
Naturally, your "phone patient" will balk...and that is when you can inform
them that coming in for a consultation in person will cost them no more and
will actually yield much more accurate prescribing results. I've never
actually had the experience where a caller decided they would go ahead and
give me a Visa number and demand the consult on the phone anyway!
If they think this arrangement is asking too much, then you've saved
yourself time and frustration spent trying to accomplish the
impossible--giving prescriptions on the phone to strangers who won't use the
medicine properly, won't benefit, and will only be angry with you for your
help. If they actually do "get it" at this point, and make arrangements for
an in-person consultation, you'll likely have a new patient. In any case,
you'll be ensuring that you have what you need--including observation,
anamnesis, and remuneration--in order to practice well.
I agree with Chris--doing this stuff over the phone with people whose cases
aren't well known to you is really guesswork. Just the same, many people
want plenty of things for free. I had many people call me for "remedy
suggestions" this way when I first opened my office. I was very frustrated
with their requests for quite a while!
The thing to do is charge a per-block-of-time rate which matches what you
charge for in-person consultations and announce this charge on the phone and
in your phone message (when you can't answer) right up front (eg. If you
charge x amount of money per hour, and usually spend about 20 minutes on the
phone when you do consult with your known patients, divide your hourly rate
into thirds and charge that amount. Ensure the caller knows you must
collect payment before you start.) Post this rate on your fee board as well
so that everyone is aware of this fee (you can decide later whether or not
you will actually charge the patients you do see in consultation regularly
for phone work).
Naturally, your "phone patient" will balk...and that is when you can inform
them that coming in for a consultation in person will cost them no more and
will actually yield much more accurate prescribing results. I've never
actually had the experience where a caller decided they would go ahead and
give me a Visa number and demand the consult on the phone anyway!
If they think this arrangement is asking too much, then you've saved
yourself time and frustration spent trying to accomplish the
impossible--giving prescriptions on the phone to strangers who won't use the
medicine properly, won't benefit, and will only be angry with you for your
help. If they actually do "get it" at this point, and make arrangements for
an in-person consultation, you'll likely have a new patient. In any case,
you'll be ensuring that you have what you need--including observation,
anamnesis, and remuneration--in order to practice well.
Re: telephone prescriptions
I certainly agree with this one!!
Regards,
Rochelle
www.rochellemarsden.co.uk
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Re: telephone prescriptions
It has been really interesting to read the thoughts of others on this
subject. Thanks
Regards,
Rochelle
www.rochellemarsden.co.uk
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subject. Thanks
Regards,
Rochelle
www.rochellemarsden.co.uk
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