FP Report -- November 1999
Help patients deal with Y2K jitters
In these last two months of 1999, patients anxious about the impending rollover to the year 2000 likely will appear in your office.
Expect your schedule to be booked solid with patients rushing to get immunizations, treatments they've postponed and prescription refills. As tension levels rise, you may also see an increase in patients with related ailments.
Family physician Leah Raye Mabry, M.D., of Pleasanton, Texas, said FPs are uniquely qualified to help people deal with the turn of the century. "We see such a breadth of the community," she said. "They're worried not just about themselves, but also about their families, and we can address so many different concerns. We should try to reassure patients that they shouldn't get stressed out about Y2K."
Providing education about Y2K should be part of the overall preventive care program in physician offices for rest of the year, said Mabry, who serves on the AAFP Commission on Public Health.
"When you ask patients, 'Are you wearing your seat belt? Did you get a flu shot?' you also want to talk to them about what your office has done to prepare for Jan. 1," she said. "You want to tell them, 'Along with your preventive maintenance, we've done maintenance on our own office and we're ready for 2000.' Assure them that everything -- including your EKG machine, which is something they may be worried about -- has been readied."
FPs who use electronic medical records should explain how the back-up process works, emphasizing that records won't be lost, said Mabry. "Not everybody is computer-literate. They think that if the computer crashes, everything's gone. They don't know that there are floppy disks and back-ups."
Patients also may need reassurance that medical devices they use every day -- such as monitors for their children, certain diabetes monitors and pacemakers -- won't fail on New Year's Day. Mabry said FPs should explain to patients that only devices dependent on date-sensitive computer chips are at risk of malfunction. Share any information you've received from device manufacturers to help put patients' minds at ease.
Mabry said the impact of Y2K anxiety probably will vary by region. Patients in her San Antonio office have raised more concerns than those in her rural office.
"Not as many patients in rural areas are as acutely aware of the issue as those in the busy cities who have an umbilical cord to the Internet," she said. "Our rural patients know the Y2K bug exists, but many have faith that the systems won't shut down."
As patients worry about the availability of prescription drugs, FPs may be asked to write prescriptions for extra supplies of medication. This is strongly discouraged by the Pharmaceutical Alliance for Y2K Readiness, a coalition of drug manufacturers, wholesaler distributors, pharmacies, health care professionals and patient organizations.
Mark Grayson, senior director of communications at the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers' Association, said the alliance is working closely with the U.S. government to ensure a continued 90-day supply of prescription medications -- including life-sustaining products such as insulin.
"You should always get your prescription filled when you have five to seven days left," Grayson said. "There's nothing more frustrating than when you go to the pharmacy to get a prescription filled, and your insurance company won't pay for it. There's no reason to overbuy and have to pay for it yourself because there is ample supply. At any time, there's a 90-day supply in the system."
The White House echoed those recommendations in a statement from the President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion, saying "Consumers should know it is clear that companies within the system are taking very seriously their responsibility to patients by testing critical computer systems and refining contingency plans."
Many organizations, including the American Red Cross, have signed on to the president's council statement.
For more information on Y2K readiness, visit the Pharmaceutical Alliance for Y2K Readiness Web site at www.y2kmedication.com. It features plenty of free information you can download for distribution to patients.
FP Report is published by the AAFP News Department. Copyright © 1999 by American Academy of Family Physicians.
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