Great Lengths

It has been relatively calm in the office this week. When the patients aren't acting up, us staff members take it upon ourselves to really get things churned up amongst each other. Joking.. Sort of. I guess were going a little stir crazy, it's been TOO calm.

Anyway, a new patient arrived along with her CNA. Now I've always been skeptical of people bringing along others to their pain management visits. It just makes me feel uncomfortable for the patient. Relative or not, the company at hand likes to have an input on the patients medication regime and their plan of care. Well this woman comes up, half awake (never a good sign) to the window, in her wheel chair. The CNA stands impatiently by the window. She hands over an envelope of medical records to me. I proceed to ask her for the patients photo ID and insurance card and she gives me a blank stare.

"This is all tha facility gave me" she says.

Now if this were any other type of office maybe we would let it slide. I'm not sure how other doctor's offices of different specialties handle a patient that cannot take care of herself and did not bring in a photo ID - but in pain management I'm going to assume you are not the person you are claiming to be. I don't think I've ever come across this type of impersonation yet, but I wouldn't put it past anyone that claims to be void of their photo ID or any form of identification. Sometimes we have the best actors and actresses stroll through our office and they are nothing short of Hollywood worthy. People will go to great lengths to get pills. I mean they come in with their best limps, best groans and then I have to take a double look at them when I see them sprinting around in public.


Luckily, the CNA agreed with me and took the woman back to her facility. She said she would return with identification. I was already geared up for the argument about how the patient needed her Roxys. Bless that woman's heart, I didn't have a panic attack that day.