1. “Be honest. If you’re not taking your medication as prescribed, tell me.”
Patients not taking their prescriptions? “It happens all the time,” says Dr. Armstrong Mettle of Saskatoon. Studies show that in Canada, 20 percent of prescriptions are never filled, and half of those that are filled are taken incorrectly.
Dr. Steve Chambers, a family physician and past president of the Alberta Medical Association, says: “Patients are sometimes afraid to tell doctors they have decided to follow another course of treatment or aren’t taking a prescription. They might have had a side effect and decided to go off it, and don’t want to hurt my feelings by telling me so.”
What you can do: Tell your doctor what you’re really doing. “To make sound decisions,” says Chambers, “the doctor needs as much information as you can provide.”
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2. “If you’re going to be late or miss an appointment, let my office staff know.”
GPs hate waiting for patients as much as patients hate waiting for them. “If you come in late, I’ll have less time for you, and chances are everybody after you will also have less time,” says one Vancouver-based family physician. It’s even more difficult when patients miss an appointment altogether. Another exasperated GP says: “After three no-shows, why shouldn’t I send you a bill? The dentist or the lawyer likely would have after the first time.”
What you can do: If you can’t make an appointment, cancel as early as possible.
3. “If you’re taking herbal supplements or over-the-counter drugs, or using alternative therapies, let me know.”
An Angus Reid poll in 2000 found that more than two thirds of Canadians take some form of nutritional supplement, including herbal products. “There is a public mind-set that if you’re taking a herbal preparation, it’s not an active pharmacological preparation,” says Dr. Mohamed Ravalia of Twillingate, Nfld. “So if you take a drug history and you don’t specifically allude to over-the-counter or herbal preparations, oftentimes the patient won’t volunteer it.”
What you can do: “If you’re taking alternative or complementary therapies, it’s important for your doctor to know that,” advises Chambers. Advise your doctor of any and all medications or supplements you are taking so that they have a more complete picture of your current health practices. You’ll want to be extra careful about mixing certain medications with exercise.
