Continuing the story of our doctor / patient relationship (business partnership).
The drugs that I use are for Asthma and I need a new prescription every 3 months. So I wandered back to the doctors to arrange an appointment to organise a new prescription. I did not phone for an appointment because I do not understand Dutch, and I may not get an English speaking person on the other end.
Another receptionist – very very helpful. No I don’t need to see the doctor, she can prepare the prescription and the doctor will okay it and send it to our designated chemist. Wow!
What drugs do I want on this prescription? I told her I need this one and I need that one (I couldn’t remember the name) so she told me what was on the computer system, and I told her which one I didn’t need of the three.
Apparently she still included the New Zealand one, and the doctor rang to ask me why I had asked for this additional puffer, which as I knew wasn’t available in the Netherlands.
Did I do that? I don’t think so.
So if you are in a foreign land – check and recheck and then recheck. And if you want an appointment with the doctor, take your list of drugs with you so that if they are helpful and can arrange one without the doctor – you can state exactly what you need.
Tags: Doctor, Dutch, English, essentials, language, Prescription
