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Something isn't adding up. A hospital and the doctors always ask (multiple times) about the medications a patient is on and are required to evaluate them in conjunction with current treatment. They can not withold medications based on hospital cost containment, it has to be based on a doctors orders. So, I bet there was some missunderstanding between what was said and what the patient understood.I know some doctors will want to see the RX bottles so they can actually see what is prescribed, dosage, and any instructions - a patient written list of RXs may not satisfy their policy as anyone could write anything on a piece of paper. Could he have mistaken, 'no patient supplied can be administered' as meansing 'no meds at all that were prescribed to the patient' by someone else? It just flys in the face of all medical practices especially that it was a cost containment policy for the hospital.
I am not trying to excuse what you are saying about this particular hospital policy of doctor availability but will ask...
on admission and when being asked if there is anything you are allergic/have reaction to, do you list steroids?
Just because that doctor may not be physically present only one day doesn't mean he isn't consulted to approve meds.
Every hospital my husband has been in gives nebulizer treatments and it's usually the second day before he gets his inhaled meds (Spiriva & Advair) as well .
Another question....did he stop getting the nebulized treatments once he had his usual meds?
Has he not had this routine at other hospitals?
I ask because it is the universally accepted protocol for an exacerbation and there are few substitutions for the hated steroids.
We've tried to avoid them but the side effects are better than dead.
I'm with you. Plus where I go- my pills go. I'll take them on my own, thank you very much and if the hospital staff doesn't like it--let them try wrestling them from me.
I was in the hospital for 3 days a few years ago. They got a list of my meds when I was admitted. GLAD I had insurance. I went over the bill after discharge. The pills averaged over $100. each.
I was in the hospital for 3 days a few years ago. They got a list of my meds when I was admitted. GLAD I had insurance. I went over the bill after discharge. The pills averaged over $100. each.
I know!!!!!!!!!! Crazy-right. Ditto for Tylenol or such. How DO they justify that???
I think the short answer is Yes, any medical care facility can exercise absolute control over what you intake while under their care, whether it be drugs, food, oxygen, IV drips, or anything else.
Having siad that, how hard can it be to sneak his drugs in to him? And, perfectly legal, as long as he has a doctor's prescription. He is a patient, not a prisoner.
no they cannot control over all that. They can monitor it so they know all kinds of stuff like food/med interaction, # of calories, stuff like that. But that's not control.
As much as I defend the medical profession, withholding meds for as long as a week is just not right! yea, I know all about cost containment but not at the expense of quality of care. And I always bring my meds when I go into the hospital, never had a problem.
I would follow through with hospital administration. If they don't do anything, have a lawyer call. Of maybe a newspaper.
The doctor who is supervising the care of a patient in the hospital should be aware of all medications the patient is taking. Sometimes it may be that a routine medication is temporarily contraindicated because of a new medicine that is being used or a test that is planned.
If you self medicate and your doctor does not know it, the results could be catastrophic under some circumstances.
The hospital wants to administer your medications because that way they know what you are taking and when. If you take something on your own and have an adverse reaction, that could put them in an awkward legal situation. Yes, that means the dose of the cheap generic you bought at Walmart will cost a lot more.
However, you do deserve to know why your routine med is being withheld. If you are not happy with your doctor, fire him and get another. You can do that even with a doctor who is provided by the hospital.
I was in the hospital for 3 days a few years ago. They got a list of my meds when I was admitted. GLAD I had insurance. I went over the bill after discharge. The pills averaged over $100. each.
Same here. A few years ago when I was hospitalized they charged $180.00 for 3 pills. I said what the heck I can get a whole bottle for that kind of money. They said "once we open a bottle, no matter how many pills your get. we have to charge you for the whole bottle." And I'm not allowed to take the whole bottle home with me. Said I'm not allowed to take an open bottle of pills with me out of the hospital. What a bunch of bull.
And then they probably use that same bottle over and over until it is empty telling other patients the same story they told me. Then they send the bill to the insurance company who negotiate the price down to 1/3 of the charges. No wonder there's big money profit in the med field.
Same here. A few years ago when I was hospitalized they charged $180.00 for 3 pills. I said what the heck I can get a whole bottle for that kind of money. They said "once we open a bottle, no matter how many pills your get. we have to charge you for the whole bottle." And I'm not allowed to take the whole bottle home with me. Said I'm not allowed to take an open bottle of pills with me out of the hospital. What a bunch of bull.
And then they probably use that same bottle over and over until it is empty telling other patients the same story they told me. Then they send the bill to the insurance company who negotiate the price down to 1/3 of the charges. No wonder there's big money profit in the med field.
it's Big Business I tell ya.
One of my friend's husband was hospitalized for a heart attack. When the bills began rolling in she went over them with a fine tooth comb. Found charges(quite high too) for Kotex Have no idea how they thought they would get away with that but she told them to justify it or remove the charges.
Instead the hospital was giving him breathing treatments every four hours, which is just pumping his body full of steroids and he doesn't tolerate steroids well, which he told them.
Typically the breathing treatments given this close together are not steroids, they are short term beta-agonists. I'm sorry that your husband missed his maintenance pulmonary medicines. Did they give him something else to replace his home medicines? Where I work we have protocols in place so that if we can't provide your normal maintenance inhaler you would be given a replacement in the same class of drug. Good luck and hope your husband is feeling better!
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Have no idea how they thought they would get away with that but she told them to justify it or remove the charges. 
