Dear editor,
It鈥檚 a game of whack-a-mole where every time a patient is issued a prescription he鈥檚 exposed to a panoply of whacks because he has no idea what awaits at whatever hole he鈥檚 arrived at.
Too early, too late, too much, wrong strength, authority not obtained by the physician, not covered. A 65-minute hold, then transferred for another 65-minute hold. Patients can鈥檛 get a printout of their account status from their pharmacist, which would be a simple and efficient way to keep informed of what 鈥榯he system鈥� is doing.
The system claims to be constantly working to improve, but its work is woefully defective, mostly by reason of the dense, impenetrable bureaucracy in which it operates. Many assumptions are made based on avoiding misuse by a small percentage of people who find ways to cheat anyway.
Hiding of the machinations of the system under the excuse of privacy continues the abuse by denying the right of access to information vital to ensuring fairness. Most of us care not one whit about who has access to our prescription history and how we鈥檙e being treated by the system so long as was have access to what they鈥檙e doing behind our backs to deny coverage. High time a bright light was shone into that murky hole.
Freeman A. Dryden
Nanaimo
