Prescription

PRESCRIPTION IS ENOUGH

When I was doing General Practice one of my patients, a Bank employee [ the reason why I am mentioning his employment will be apparent later] used to ask prescription for his wife or mother, saying that they are unable to come to the clinic.
I will usually oblige saying that if they did not improve they should come to the clinic without fail.
He always paid the full consultation fees for each prescription..
Whenever I asked about the follow up he usually said “Oh! She became alright sir, thanks!”.

Well, one day, a week after a similar prescription he came and said that his wife had not recovered. . When I asked him whether she took the medicine as advised he hesitated and said “No”.
He saw my perplexed face and said that he never bought any medicine which I have prescribed all the time ‘in absentia’.
“I will place your prescription behind “God’s portrait”, pray and do nothing and within 2-3 days my wife would be all right.
This is the first time she didn’t!”
I couldn’t hide my astonishment. “You could very well have done the same without my prescription and could have avoided paying my fees!’ I exclaimed.
“No, sir! That won’t work. Nor will an old prescription” adding the astonishment..
He then brought his wife and I treated her and she became all right.

The practice of issuing prescriptions continued.
The funny thing was when he got transferred to a faraway place he used to come to my clinic once in 6 months or so and get a bunch of prescriptions for his wife and mother for different ailments paying me the consultation fees for every prescription.