Dr. English

Sounds kind of like a villain from a James Bond flick, doesn't it?

Actually, I just came back from my very first medical appointment here in the UK. Despite the "free" health care available here in the UK via the NHS, J and I decided to opt for private health insurance. I polled my friends who've been living here for a while, and although the NHS apparently suffices for most needs, it can get to be a bit of a wait for an appointment. The idea of waiting two weeks for an appointment when you're not feeling so great sounds pretty terrible.

Anyway, I went in today for a bug bite on my leg that just won't go away. The prescription? Just be patient and stop scratching. Sigh. At least I know it's not skin cancer or a parasite living in my leg or something like that. Damn those medical shows like "Monsters Inside Me" - it could make a hypochondriac out of any mentally healthy person. Other good news? I have excellent blood pressure - good to know. =)  It wasn't too much trouble, at least, since the doctor is only a ten minute walk from my flat, and now I know of a good doctor in the area.

I paid the doctor's fee, and I'm supposed to submit the claim to the insurance company myself. That's a bit different from medical offices in the States; they usually submit the claim for you. Some other interesting things of note:

(1) Doctors here make house calls! How awesome is that? It really is too much to ask a sick person to go traipsing all around town, spreading their germs - that's not good for anyone.

(2) Much less paperwork. The only form I had to fill out was a very short one with my birthday and address. The doctor then conducted a very short interview asking about my medical history and allergies. I'm still in shock of not having to complete and sign at least ten different forms before ever seeing the doctor.

All in all, a very positive experience, and one I would rate higher than my visits to the GP back in the States. Except I got caught in the rain so I ran all the way home - I really need to be better about taking my umbrella with me everywhere!

Give Me My Drugs!

Moving to London is hard. Really hard. Trying to figure everything out in regards to leaving your home behind and starting a new life abroad can be difficult, but thank God for the Internet. I've managed to figure a lot out, but the one niggling little thing that no one, including my doctor, seems to know whether I can fill my US prescriptions in the UK.

I've asked my doc to provide me with copies of the prescriptions for meds that I'm currently taking (and no, there aren't THAT many) so that I could fill them in the UK when I move. My doctor's not sure whether UK pharmacies will honor the US prescription, but all the travel websites recommend taking a copy of your prescriptions with you when you travel. Now, why would they recommend that if the pharmacies abroad wouldn't fill them for you? Do they think that the actual paper prescription has some sort of medicinal effect and you're meant to ingest the paper in case of emergency? Confusion ensues.