There is so much provider support at my current job in Maine. It just makes our lives easier. For instance, there is an RN that handles the medication refills as long as it meets protocol (recent labs, recent appointment etc.). When requesting a controlled substance refill, the medical assistant will copy and paste the most recent PMP report on the phone message. PMP is what we use here to look up where and when the patient last filled a controlled substance prescription. How convenient that this information is automatically provided for you instead of having to spend precious minutes signing in and looking up the patient yourself?!
Like many states, Maine has an issue with the opioid epidemic and even patients forging prescriptions. Thus, they use a system called ‘imprivata’, which all providers must enroll in. Controlled substance prescriptions must be submitted electronically. After submitting the prescription electronically, the imprivata system pops up in which the provider must sign into. After signing in, the provider must then check her imprivata phone app and approve the prescription from there. It may seem a bit tedious but it’s a pretty quick process and at least it ensures that you are the only one prescribing controlled substances. Patients are unable to forge or change a prescription, and no one in the office is able to refill a controlled substance without your permission.
The front desk staff also handles all of the referrals. They make the providers lives easy by proposing referrals for patients. This means if a patient called requesting a referral to an eye doctor, the front desk staff will put in the referral and diagnosis, then send the proposed order to us, in which we just have to sign off on. The RN also handles triage, so providers aren’t bombarded with ‘tick bite’ visits or patients with cold symptoms that just started today.
The only negative interesting finding I have surveyed does not have to do with the clinic staff. It has to do with the patient population. It appears that developmental delays in pediatric patients here is very prominent. Most places I have worked, you will find a developmental delay in about 1 out of 100 children. Here it seems that every other child that comes in for a physical has a developmental delay. I am assuming it has to do with the low level of education here and high use of alcohol and drugs during pregnancy and infancy.
These are just some observations I thought would be interesting to share with you all.
Thanks for sharing, it’s nice to know that some clinics offer the support we need for success. It’s unfortunate that this is so news worthy! It’s not rocket science but this is not done in the clinics I’ve worked in Florida. How nice would it be if we could all be on the same page. The opioid epidemic is here too yet it doesn’t seem like we have the staff infrastructure of support that is needed and that you saw in ME! Thanks for post!
Haha yes I agree. FL is not a great state to practice medicine. Hopefully it improves in the next few years.