The time has come to summon up the strength. Collect the bundle of green paper slips; sit in front of the computer, fingers poised, deep breath, it's time for repeat prescriptions.
The first lists six different drugs for blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol. But he's only asked for three; what does it mean? Is it ignorance, or side effects he's getting, or ambivalence from being made a patient when he wasn't feeling ill.
The next one's for citalopram; it's many months since she told me the deep sadness of her life. She doesn't come back but wants more pills. Does it mean that she's better or she's worse, she finds me difficult to talk to, or just the distress and the tears.
So what do I do, turn a blind eye, reissue, postpone decision till next month. Or scrawl a curt response “Must see doctor first”. It's hard enough to know what you need when we meet for 10 minutes face to face. And I can look into your doleful eyes and see the wringing of your hands. But these green computer generated slips alone are impenetrable to me. And there are so many today …
- © British Journal of General Practice, 2005.