An FBI agent was suffering a bad cough. He informed me
that this happened every year, and his doctor knocked it out with an
antibiotic.
My philosophy on prescribing a useless antibiotic is
that I don’t unless the patient threatens to make a scene.
This FBI man seemed out of an old movie: dressed in
suit and tie, composed and unemotional. He made eye contact, listened intently,
answered succinctly, submitted to my exam, and did not interrupt as I spoke.
I explained that he had a virus that was incurable but
would go away in a few days. As I delivered advice and handed over cough
medicine and tablets for his fever, I could see him absorbing the news that I
wasn’t prescribing the antibiotic.
He was not a person to quarrel with a figure of
authority. He said nothing, but I could sense his inner turmoil….
Deciding the ice was getting very thin, I added: “You
said your doctor gives you an antibiotic. This illness doesn’t require one, but
I’ll write a prescription in case you want to call him and discuss it.”
He accepted it without comment. He also handed back
the medical form that I had asked him to sign. In the hall, glancing at the
paper, I saw that he had covered it with obscenities.
Posts
