The Doctor Is In
Two Wednesdays ago, I went to see my doctor (called GP, or general practitioner) for the first time. It's really a "practice" which means that there are a couple of GPs that mill around in the clinic. I discovered some interesting differences between UK and US healthcare:
(a) The only liquid specimen required in the "physical" is urine. A jar of urine. Not to do fancy testing on or anything, but just to dip a stick of pH paper in to check if my bladder is full of hydrochloric acid or sodium hydroxide. I gather that if the pH is slightly alkaline (turns the paper light blue), then I'm OK. This meagre testing is quite helpful for me since my veins are never cooperative and I end up having bruising on my arms whenever I need blood work done, which makes me look like a crack ho.
(b) They take your weight and height to calculate a BMI (body-mass index) here in the UK. I found out two important things - first, I'm not 5'11" as mentioned on my US driver's license (I'm 5'10"), and second, that I'm barely under the BMI (of 25) that would classify me as an obese hippo. Good stuff. Guess those chips (french fries) are finally making a difference.
(c) The doctor/GP asks only one primary question before he dispenses with prescription medication - "What do you need?". I responded with the (incorrect) long-winded recounting of my entire medical history. He stopped me at the point when I was telling him how I had got stitches under my chin when I was 6 because my older brother and sister made me jump over a super sharp ribbon in some stupid children's jump rope game (I don't recall much because I was a bleeding mess and was pretty much bawling the whole time). I took the GP's impatience to mean that my medical history from ages 6 to 35 had no bearing on his diagnosis. I promptly told him that I was on cholesterol medication and was running out of my US-prescribed medicine. He told me that my US-prescribed medicine was not in the UK formulary, and that he would have to look up an alternative drug in this special book. Eventually, I ended up with a prescription for generic Zocor. Lots and lots of generic Zocor. The GP gave me a "repeat prescription" which basically means that I can keep getting this drug until I die (presumably with great cholesterol levels).
(d) UK doctors don't believe in allergy shots. I told the GP that I had gotten over my aversion to cat dander after a systematic program of allergy shots in the States. He told me that this was entirely explainable by the "placebo effect", and that my mind had gotten so convinced that the yellow-green liquid in my allergy serum vials were doing me good that I had just cured myself of the allergy to cats. He then prescribed me with lots and lots of generic Flonase (again, on a repeat prescription) - just in case my allergies (hayfever in the UK) acted up. Of course, I promptly thought to myself that this nasal spray stuff is just some bad-smelling water that tricks the mind into thinking that one can kick his/her allergies in the butt.
(e) After I had got the prescription papers in my hand, I asked the doctor whether he wanted to see any of my old blood work that proved that I had high cholesterol initially, and that my liver functions (a potentially negative side effect from taking statins) were normal despite being on a regimented course of statins for the last 3 years or so. He nodded (imperceptibly, or perhaps he was just indicating his displeasure that I was forcing him into doing anything doctorly), so I produced my medical records with a great flourish and stood back expectantly for what I would have expected to hear in the US. You know, something like "looking good on those cholesterol levels, we'll just keep you on the program and monitor your progress". Instead, he said that the UK units of measurement for cholesterol are in some new-fangled metric units while the US employs some old "imperial/English" units. I know, I know. Super ironic, huh? (It's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife) Bottom line is that all my US medical records were pretty much gobbledy-gook to him and so the information on them was pretty much null and void (even though it took me three seconds to find the conversion between the two units of measurement on the Internet later that evening).
(f) There is no co-pay when you visit the GP. Makes sense, since you get what you pay for.
(g) The best difference of all is what I discovered when I went to the pharmacy to get my prescription filled. The pharmacist lady asked me if I wanted to get on a pre-pay option so that my prescription costs would be lower (something like the FSA system in the US). I said, OK, why not? She then rang up my costs for the 3 month supply of Flonase and generic Zocor and said, rather proudly/happily (for me), that I had saved exactly 2 pounds with my pre-pay cleverness. The rather obvious thought crossed my mind at that moment. 2 pounds? A whole 2 pounds? Oh my word - think of all the many things I could spend my 2 pounds on! Maybe I could splash out and get a 2 liter jug of milk instead of my normal 1 liter. But there was more joy to be had. She then mentioned that I had saved 2 pounds off the normal price of 13 pounds for the two prescriptions. Can you believe it? 11 pounds for what would have cost 160 dollars in the US! Woohoo! If it's this easy to get prescriptions from the doctor and this cheap to fill them, I'm gonna' start a booming UTC (under the counter) black market in medicines! Just let me know what you guys need (esp. Romes).
There's my first experience with the UK's National Health Service. I am constantly learning how much I am falling in love with this country.
P/S: For all of you affected by Hurricane Rita, my thoughts and prayers are with you. Looks like Houston was spared the brunt of the bad stuff. Be careful and be safe as you travel back home, and I pray that you will find things at home just the way you left it.
(a) The only liquid specimen required in the "physical" is urine. A jar of urine. Not to do fancy testing on or anything, but just to dip a stick of pH paper in to check if my bladder is full of hydrochloric acid or sodium hydroxide. I gather that if the pH is slightly alkaline (turns the paper light blue), then I'm OK. This meagre testing is quite helpful for me since my veins are never cooperative and I end up having bruising on my arms whenever I need blood work done, which makes me look like a crack ho.
(b) They take your weight and height to calculate a BMI (body-mass index) here in the UK. I found out two important things - first, I'm not 5'11" as mentioned on my US driver's license (I'm 5'10"), and second, that I'm barely under the BMI (of 25) that would classify me as an obese hippo. Good stuff. Guess those chips (french fries) are finally making a difference.
(c) The doctor/GP asks only one primary question before he dispenses with prescription medication - "What do you need?". I responded with the (incorrect) long-winded recounting of my entire medical history. He stopped me at the point when I was telling him how I had got stitches under my chin when I was 6 because my older brother and sister made me jump over a super sharp ribbon in some stupid children's jump rope game (I don't recall much because I was a bleeding mess and was pretty much bawling the whole time). I took the GP's impatience to mean that my medical history from ages 6 to 35 had no bearing on his diagnosis. I promptly told him that I was on cholesterol medication and was running out of my US-prescribed medicine. He told me that my US-prescribed medicine was not in the UK formulary, and that he would have to look up an alternative drug in this special book. Eventually, I ended up with a prescription for generic Zocor. Lots and lots of generic Zocor. The GP gave me a "repeat prescription" which basically means that I can keep getting this drug until I die (presumably with great cholesterol levels).
(d) UK doctors don't believe in allergy shots. I told the GP that I had gotten over my aversion to cat dander after a systematic program of allergy shots in the States. He told me that this was entirely explainable by the "placebo effect", and that my mind had gotten so convinced that the yellow-green liquid in my allergy serum vials were doing me good that I had just cured myself of the allergy to cats. He then prescribed me with lots and lots of generic Flonase (again, on a repeat prescription) - just in case my allergies (hayfever in the UK) acted up. Of course, I promptly thought to myself that this nasal spray stuff is just some bad-smelling water that tricks the mind into thinking that one can kick his/her allergies in the butt.
(e) After I had got the prescription papers in my hand, I asked the doctor whether he wanted to see any of my old blood work that proved that I had high cholesterol initially, and that my liver functions (a potentially negative side effect from taking statins) were normal despite being on a regimented course of statins for the last 3 years or so. He nodded (imperceptibly, or perhaps he was just indicating his displeasure that I was forcing him into doing anything doctorly), so I produced my medical records with a great flourish and stood back expectantly for what I would have expected to hear in the US. You know, something like "looking good on those cholesterol levels, we'll just keep you on the program and monitor your progress". Instead, he said that the UK units of measurement for cholesterol are in some new-fangled metric units while the US employs some old "imperial/English" units. I know, I know. Super ironic, huh? (It's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife) Bottom line is that all my US medical records were pretty much gobbledy-gook to him and so the information on them was pretty much null and void (even though it took me three seconds to find the conversion between the two units of measurement on the Internet later that evening).
(f) There is no co-pay when you visit the GP. Makes sense, since you get what you pay for.
(g) The best difference of all is what I discovered when I went to the pharmacy to get my prescription filled. The pharmacist lady asked me if I wanted to get on a pre-pay option so that my prescription costs would be lower (something like the FSA system in the US). I said, OK, why not? She then rang up my costs for the 3 month supply of Flonase and generic Zocor and said, rather proudly/happily (for me), that I had saved exactly 2 pounds with my pre-pay cleverness. The rather obvious thought crossed my mind at that moment. 2 pounds? A whole 2 pounds? Oh my word - think of all the many things I could spend my 2 pounds on! Maybe I could splash out and get a 2 liter jug of milk instead of my normal 1 liter. But there was more joy to be had. She then mentioned that I had saved 2 pounds off the normal price of 13 pounds for the two prescriptions. Can you believe it? 11 pounds for what would have cost 160 dollars in the US! Woohoo! If it's this easy to get prescriptions from the doctor and this cheap to fill them, I'm gonna' start a booming UTC (under the counter) black market in medicines! Just let me know what you guys need (esp. Romes).
There's my first experience with the UK's National Health Service. I am constantly learning how much I am falling in love with this country.
P/S: For all of you affected by Hurricane Rita, my thoughts and prayers are with you. Looks like Houston was spared the brunt of the bad stuff. Be careful and be safe as you travel back home, and I pray that you will find things at home just the way you left it.
posted by Phlings! | 12:47 PM
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