Dr P
I’m going to explain the circumstances whereby I’ve been stopped from writing ORT scripts and other medications for you.
Short Version
One of my younger patients with a largely controlled and medicated mental health condition, attempted suicide impulsively. I had medicated this patient successfully, but the patient still overdosed impulsively , just because the patient could,
despite all the precautions in place.
The patient was fixed up in hospital and then discharged off all medication by the hospital doctors, with a severe flare of psychiatric symptoms following.
I believed that it was Unethical , Dangerous and Immoral not to do as much as possible, to help this person by providing psychiatric care and support in the time waiting to see the specialist again. It is not safe to leave her unattended and untreated. The situation was serious and there was potentially a life at stake.
I medicated this patient again successfully. The patient and her guardian / carer were happy with the care and treatment given, before and after the "self-harm" attempt.
The medical board has taken the view that I should not have treated this patient. They felt my action in treating this patient should not have occurred and have punished me for this.
As a result of this, the most serious consequence is that I now I am restricted from prescribing and looking after several hundred of you , my ORT patients.
What to Do Next?
The staff from the medical centre will provide you with a list of people to contact to get on the ORT program.(On this website). Our medical Centre has made a special effort to make sure that everyone has a script at least to the end of February, perhaps a bit longer in some special circumstances.
"No one" has been hurt or injured to trigger this event. In fact the patient at the base of this event has done very well and is happy with Dr P's treatment. In my opinion, the restrictions appear largely based on AHPRA's dislike of ORT/mental health doctors in general. lder doctors are probbaly also on the firing range. Many doctors also feel GPs should not be involved in treating mental health issues, shortage of these qualified doctors notwithstanding.
In my opinion the system is not very concerned about welfare of ORT patients and mental health patients if the system does not care about outcomes. To get in trouble for making people "well", is something life experiences would not prepare you for.
If you are interested, read the Sunday Mail article at this link, Long Version (end of page). Dr P's patient did much much better than this.
More details are available at the end of the long version web page.
The Science of Addiction Medicine www.DDDocs.com.au
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Victorian Opioid Doctors Crisis
Short Version ( Dr Pluta's Story) .
Long Version (Dr Pluta's Story).