If he goes to a large clinic / hospital center the computers are usually inter-connected. I go to a large research, teaching hospital where all of the clinics are under the same roof or if you go to a health care system that has multiple locations. The perk to this is that all of your doctors "your team" can see what everybody has prescribed so they don't over prescribe or know what new meds will conflict with existing meds and can instantly tell what is up for refill between now and your next appointment

I personally like it. They fax and send your prescriptions directly through the system while you are at your appointment to your pharmacist. By the time you leave your appointment, drive to the pharmacist, my prescriptions are ready for pick up.

Also, if you are in the Emergency Room, they instantly know everything that you are taking, allergies and past medical history so that they can instantly respond to any urgent care needs.

My husband goes to the Veterans Hospital and they are all inter-connected also. I like it that way because there is just too much info to remember. Petite said it all.

My mom goes to 3-5 clinics that in't interconnected and OH MY GOODNESS! IF anything happens and did happen when we went into the ER, we only had the information that they previously had on file from her last ER visit from 2 years earlier and only a 1 line of what brought her there - nothing was current. Her specialist is only open M-F - we didnt know the meds she was on - thank goodness she could talk and hopefully she didn't miss anything. As she said, OH yeah, I'm on this too - 20 - 30 minutes later or if they asked to prompt a response.

I went with her to her specialist appointment, that was a total joke, they only had 5-8 pages in her entire medical records - only the tests that they ordered from her previous visit, the prescriptions that she was taking was on 3-4 separate sheets and they were missing 5 of her meds! THEY WERE CLUELESS! She has to go through the same thing at 4 clinics and worry about bringing her MRI reports from one place to another, with her hand written list, so they are all on the same page... I questioned two of her meds - that were very much alike and the doctor said, you shouldn't be on this, if you are on that... it was like double dosing. He would have NEVER caught it! When I went to her appointment, I said I feel like I'm in a time warp - this is OUTRAGOUS! She doesn't want to change, because she doesn't know the difference of how convenient it could ALL be - even when you explain it and see what has happened. - She doesn't like and want to change. What can you do?

When I go into the ER the doc apologized for being the last one in the room - 3 minutes later as they were putting the IV in, when he came in, I started going through my medical history and he said... "no need - that's why I was late coming into the room, I have your entire summary sheet here. Meds look like they are current - Any changes since last week?" (Which was when my last medical appointment was.) He then when into current issues of why I was there. Everything was instant.

When I go into my follow up medical appointments, if I schedule one after another - the appointment that I had just before, they can see the notes and med changes instantly, the specialist can pull up not only my MRI reports but actually see the scan in 3-D by scrolling through the layers... if he wanted further information.

If you're not at this type of clinic, I would highly recommend it! It's SO convenient!
:)

I have my home town as Atlanta but it is actually a small town on the outskirts and with gas being and having the fixed income, what it is I do not want to have to travel to the city.

My reason for writing this was because I was seeing all these folks on here being kicked outta PM for getting meds from other docs and not telling their PM (cuz they did not know to?)...or one lady got kicked off because a man wanted to buy her drugs and when she refused he called her PM and said she was selling them!

It would be an ideal world if it all worked out right-like we got what we needed without the Gestpo watching over our docs shoulders like they do. I was just shocked that this is how "the system" is set up...I would have never guessed.

I have never abused my medication so I have nothing to hide. But having just gone 2 years w/o any health insurance it seems PM has changed so much in that time frame. It makes me nervous that big bro has such an eye out specifically on us...we who need this kind of help the most... :}