Continuing Story of Cressroads

AS IN ‘RICHARD’ Practice Manager Hanney of Station Road Surgery, Cressroads, where town hack Blogsbody is read to blast forth: ‘Here’s hoping this second email - after Blogsbody is put under doctor’s orders to return to dropping 20mg Teva-of-Eastbourne, film-coated, pink Simvastatin tabs inscribed with the digit ‘2′ followed by a digit ‘0′ and manufactured Who-Knows-Where on ‘el-but-cheapo’ Far Eastern subcontinent - finds its way into in the hands of your GP Stokes without delay.

For on this passing Eve of All Hallows, the town’s mid-septuagenarian town hack  -  treated for blood pressure, cholesterol and circulation, if he is to name but three of a half-a-dozen health issues preying on his mind  -  seeks to summon up sufficient remaining faith in Cressroads’ medical source to his wanting to survive to the full what remains of his remaining days on Mother Earth.

And so pray, beseech you Richard Practice Manager Hanney that, by the grace of the Almighty, Cressroads’ Mr Blogsbody will soon hear tell that his sometimes not so swift a doctor will find a moment or two to get up to speed with some of what troubles his patient Irving, Michael.

Oh, yes. And for your GP some-say-Beanstokes to be sure not to repeat his tardy response to the town hack’s email before-this-’un.

Given that as long as two weeks were to tick merrily by, afore so good an Alresford-on-Arle GP  -  known unwittingly to leave patients splitting their sides with uncontrollable imaginations of their doctor’s sudden transubstantiation into Funny Man Rowan ‘Bean’ Atkinson poking his head around the waiting-room door to holler one respective second name after the other to occupy his next 10-minute window for medical car  -  finally chooses to decide to act on being nudged by Blogsbody to want to concede that it may prove something of an oversight for him to have chosen to ignore the need for a victim of a minor stroke to be given an electrocardiogram (ECG), before finding himself on a slippery ’scrip to dropping scores upon scores more Simvastatins.

And, out of respect for one of the less harmful side effects of statins, continuing to obey his doctor’s orders to avoid drinking grapefruit.

Until, one old hack’s take at a time, more to follow, your practice is urged next to take time out to appraise the content of heart patient and former volunteer railway worker in suit and tie, not blue boiler suit, for the town’s steam locomotion Watercress Line, majestic Cressroadian  HRHarwood Tapper and his way with a troubled word, or two or three to the senior partner of his Thornhill Park GP’s Partnership in Greater Cressroads:-

Dear Sirs/Madam

In a report published in the Daily Telegraph of Friday, 15^th October 2010, I read that the use of cheap generic drugs is a threat to the health of patients and as a consequence their use is to be abandoned. The unreliability and inferior quality of these drugs places patients’ lives at risk.

Simvastatin, in particular, and which you have been specifying on my prescription requisition. It is highlighted as unsuitable and stated to be putting patients at increased risks of strokes and heart attacks. In my opinion, you were very likely aware of these risks to your patients, but made no effort to act in the patients’ interest.

In respect of my need of statins, please kindly ensure that in future my prescription requisition specifies Lipitor, referred to in the report as being the branded item a patient needs.

You are professionally charged to prescribe in a patient’s best interest; and not, I would add, in the interest of some accountant hidden away behind the scenes. Generic medicines are unsafe and unreliable. I do not expect to see them prescribed in future for my family or myself .

Yours, etc’  -  www.blogsbody.co.uk