The totally off-topic thread

[JessicaTam]

I honestly didn't think it was that bad, I'm sure posters with children have put up with way more disgusting things.... just saying

From an earlier post from Medhead, poo stories? I have a heap from my days traveling in India and Africa, some real stomach churners there!
If someone wants to start a thread...........

Nnnnnoooooooooooo!

 

[straitman]

Not a cat person I take it?

As you know sometimes discussion moves in mysterious ways; this one just moved into the cat territory so we were pleased when it was transferred to the correct thread. Certainly not intentionally posting in the wrong thread.

I don't mind the posts it's just the cats I don't like :!:

 

[Hvr]

I honestly didn't think it was that bad, I'm sure posters with children have put up with way more disgusting things.... just saying

From an earlier post from Medhead, poo stories? I have a heap from my days traveling in India and Africa, some real stomach churners there!
If someone wants to start a thread...........

Nnnnnoooooooooooo!

I second Jessica's motion.

 

[JohnK]

I don't mind the posts it's just the cats I don't like :!:

You and me both!

 

[Pushka]

Input needed. If you go to a specialist and they tell you about the previous patient's occupation, citizenship, Australian citizenship status, medicare and private health care arrangements and that the Dr was giving them all the sample drugs received instead of sharing them with all the relevant patients, what would you do, if anything? (Adding that I heard the previous patients name while I was in the waiting room.)

 

[Hvr]

Input needed. If you go to a specialist and they tell you about the previous patient's occupation, citizenship, Australian citizenship status, medicare and private health care arrangements and that the Dr was giving them all the sample drugs received instead of sharing them with all the relevant patients, what would you do, if anything? (Adding that I heard the previous patients name while I was in the waiting room.)

A privacy breach that would be best handled with a complaint to the privacy commissioner?

 

[Mal]

Is it a privacy breach you're concerned about, or concerns over potential Medicare/PBS rorting?

 

[medhead]

The only "disgusting" or as I prefer "a little ick" thing was probably Cossie's cat and the head infection. The rest is par for the course if you have animals.

I know that is par for the course with animals. I just don't see the need for running commentary about animals eating their own faeces.

BTW I'm not suggesting that there is the need for a thread on poo stories. Just noting that John Elliot, in that show about the etiquette of dining holds the opinion that everyone should have 1 good poo story. This was a point of agreement that my views on the animal posts might not be in line with other views. Of course Elliot was dead against vomit stories.

As another question there were some dog posts in that discussion, did those go to the cat thread as well.

 

[medhead]

Input needed. If you go to a specialist and they tell you about the previous patient's occupation, citizenship, Australian citizenship status, medicare and private health care arrangements and that the Dr was giving them all the sample drugs received instead of sharing them with all the relevant patients, what would you do, if anything? (Adding that I heard the previous patients name while I was in the waiting room.)

Ignore it, it's none of your business.
Sample drugs are just that, samples. They belong to the doctor who can do whatever they want with them. As a uni student our family GP used to give me sample drugs in place of a prescription to save me money. I could never imagine that sample drugs are given to a doctor to be used for a specific patient. Could it be that the other patient is low income and the doctor is trying to help them?

Is it a privacy breach you're concerned about, or concerns over potential Medicare/PBS rorting?

If they aren't buying PBS drugs and instead getting free samples how can there be rorting?

 

[Mal]

If they aren't buying PBS drugs and instead getting free samples how can there be rorting?

Of course there can be rorting. Medicare rorting (billing for longer consultations , allowing the use of invalid medicare cards for other people etc), and PBS rorting was more around the possibility that they were issuing prescriptions incorrectly.

 

[medhead]

Of course there can be rorting. Medicare rorting (billing for longer consultations , allowing the use of invalid medicare cards for other people etc), and PBS rorting was more around the possibility that they were issuing prescriptions incorrectly.

My question was only about PBS. If they are getting the sample drugs no prescription is required.

 

[Mark3000]

My question was only about PBS. If they are getting the sample drugs no prescription is required.

Yes,the sample drugs are nothing to do with the PBS and the doctor can give them to anyone in need

 

[Pushka]

Is it a privacy breach you're concerned about, or concerns over potential Medicare/PBS rorting?

I actually understand the reasoning why he is doing this. So no concerns with any breaching of regulations.

Its the fact that he told me the man's circumstances that led him to doing it. Given I had just seen him in the waiting room and knew his name as a result.

So it is an issue of privacy not rorting. And I have no idea why he thought I should know about someone else's medical concerns, drug requirements, and their issues with insurance and medicare. It was my appointment time, I had my own issues to deal with and in no way interested in someone else's situation at that time.

Paying a gap of around $140 tends to focus the priorities.

 

[love_the_life]

I think it is highly unprofessional of the specialist to mention any other patients in such a way. Even our GP does not discuss other members of the family.

 

[love_the_life]

I don't mind the posts it's just the cats I don't like :!:

Wash your mouth out....and you too JohnK. Not liking cats, what is the world coming to? :shock:

 

[JohnK]

So it is an issue of privacy not rorting. And I have no idea why he thought I should know about someone else's medical concerns, drug requirements, and their issues with insurance and medicare. It was my appointment time, I had my own issues to deal with and in no way interested in someone else's situation at that time.

Maybe in his own way he was trying to make you feel better and didn't realise that you had crossed paths with the other patient? Many years ago I was suffering regularly and my GP used to tell me about similar conditions he was treating. I didn't know who they were and not sure he was breaching confidentiality. All he was trying to do was put me at ease.

 

[Pushka]

Maybe in his own way he was trying to make you feel better and didn't realise that you had crossed paths with the other patient? Many years ago I was suffering regularly and my GP used to tell me about similar conditions he was treating. I didn't know who they were and not sure he was breaching confidentiality. All he was trying to do was put me at ease.

Yes, I can understand why this might happen to try to make you feel better. But he did see us in the room together - it is a tiny waiting room - just four chairs. We were seated next to each other when the patient before him went in. I guess there are two issues - you get so little time with the specialist that such chatter is wasted, and then there is the breach of privacy. And I wonder if he then chatted about me to the person after me. Anyway, it was a once off visit to this guy.

 

[love_the_life]

Yes, I can understand why this might happen to try to make you feel better........

Did the other patient have a similar condition to you? If so, I still think it irregular, though the specialist could easily have not identified the previous patient by saying something like, "I am treating another patient with your symptoms and they find ....." Unless it can add anything to your understanding of your own condition, it just wastes your time IMO.

 

[Pushka]

Did the other patient have a similar condition to you? If so, I still think it irregular, though the specialist could easily have not identified the previous patient by saying something like, "I am treating another patient with your symptoms and they find ....." Unless it can add anything to your understanding of your own condition, it just wastes your time IMO.

The specialist practice is very specific so everyone experiences the same kinds of symptoms. The additional information he gave me related to his citizenship, occupation, Insurance details (even the name of the Insurer) and medicare status. Entirely nothing to do with me.

 

[love_the_life]

IMO then totally unprofessional, nothing that would help you with your condition/symptoms.