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Suffering From Insomnia. Taking Triazolam. No Improvement. What Can Be Done?
Question: How and to what professional organization does an ex-patient report poor practices of their psychiatrist?
This psychiatrist had been prescribing triazolam (0.75mg @ bedtime) for my chronic insomnia (that's 3/Ea 0.25mg tabs) for about 1 year. Then, having just returned from a 3 month visit to friends in SE Asia and suffering with time-zone related insomnia adding to my condition, he arbitrarily cut me down to 1/Ea. 0.25mg tab. When the RN who visits me regularly as part of my Home Healthcare Program contacted the Dr. to report my flaling health due to insomnia and to question his judgement regarding the lowering of my dosage, this Psychiatrist informed her as follows: "that's what I prescribed and that's what this patient will have to accept".
As I am the patient, I consider this to be cruel & unusual practice! Additionally, it caused me to go to another source where I received my appropriate prescription anyway.
This psychiatrist had been prescribing triazolam (0.75mg @ bedtime) for my chronic insomnia (that's 3/Ea 0.25mg tabs) for about 1 year. Then, having just returned from a 3 month visit to friends in SE Asia and suffering with time-zone related insomnia adding to my condition, he arbitrarily cut me down to 1/Ea. 0.25mg tab. When the RN who visits me regularly as part of my Home Healthcare Program contacted the Dr. to report my flaling health due to insomnia and to question his judgement regarding the lowering of my dosage, this Psychiatrist informed her as follows: "that's what I prescribed and that's what this patient will have to accept".
As I am the patient, I consider this to be cruel & unusual practice! Additionally, it caused me to go to another source where I received my appropriate prescription anyway.
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Hello and welcome to Healthcare Magic. Thanks for your query.
I'm sorry to hear that you've had a bad experience with your previous psychiatrist. It is indeed not good clinical practice for a doctor to be authoritative and try to force a patient to accept his treatment plan, without a proper discussion with the patient. In fact, treatment decisions should be mutual, always taking into consideration the patient's choices and comfort.
If you would like to report this issue, then I suggest that the best way would be to take it up with the Hospital Medical Board. Every hospital's medical board should have a Hospital Ethics Committee which can specifically address such issues where there are complaints about unethical medical practices or violation of patient rights. The Hospital Ethics Committee will hold a formal enquiry into the matter and the doctor will be asked to explain himself for his actions. If found that he has not maintained his professional code of conduct, then disciplinary action will be taken against him. In cases, where there has been a serious ethical violations and professional misconduct, the Ethics Committee will have to report the doctor to the State Medical Council where he is registered, for further disciplinary action.
I hope that this has been helpful and informative to you.
Best regards,
- Dr. Jonas Sundarakumar
Consultant Psychiatrist
I'm sorry to hear that you've had a bad experience with your previous psychiatrist. It is indeed not good clinical practice for a doctor to be authoritative and try to force a patient to accept his treatment plan, without a proper discussion with the patient. In fact, treatment decisions should be mutual, always taking into consideration the patient's choices and comfort.
If you would like to report this issue, then I suggest that the best way would be to take it up with the Hospital Medical Board. Every hospital's medical board should have a Hospital Ethics Committee which can specifically address such issues where there are complaints about unethical medical practices or violation of patient rights. The Hospital Ethics Committee will hold a formal enquiry into the matter and the doctor will be asked to explain himself for his actions. If found that he has not maintained his professional code of conduct, then disciplinary action will be taken against him. In cases, where there has been a serious ethical violations and professional misconduct, the Ethics Committee will have to report the doctor to the State Medical Council where he is registered, for further disciplinary action.
I hope that this has been helpful and informative to you.
Best regards,
- Dr. Jonas Sundarakumar
Consultant Psychiatrist
Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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