Home Forums Discussions General Discussion Stamped Signatures Not Accepted

I am interested in how the rest of you are handling what seems to be an increasing demand by various agencies who either refuse to or cannot accept stamped signatures (in Indiana, where I am licensed, pharmacies can accept stamped signatures.) I have been increasingly bombarded by out-of-state mail order pharmacies who say they cannot accept stamped signatures (for any meds) and from agencies such as diabetes supply houses that, because of Medicare, say they cannot accept stamped signatures. Now, mind you, rather than mailing requests along with a SASE, these entities seem to feel it is ok for them to fax the requests, have us print them out and complete them and sign them and then fax them back. Well, surpirse, surprise, I refuse to use my ink and paper to do this and I will fax them back a message stating that they must mail me the form along with a SASE.
Yesterday, I got into a shouting match on the phone with a diabetic supply house which accused me of not caring about my patients. He stated I was delaying the delivery of these supplies and therefore my patient was "suffering". I replied to him that the only thing causing my patient to suffer was their decision to use a mail-order company such as his and that I would henceforth urge my patients to use a local pharmacy. He became infuriated so I slammed the phone down in his ear (I know, I know but I am not known for my tolerance of idiots).
Anyway, how are the rest of you dealing with these issues of increasing demands on our time and resources?

Leslie

Sometimes kicking the wall feels good, too.

it's all very retarded, of course. with faxable requisitions, you can scan in a signature on a clean background, save as a jpg, then paste that into requisitions that you have to fax back. but then they might required 'handwritten dates' and it'd be a cluster to try to do that by scanning. at that point, i was doing what you mentioned before-have them send me stamped envelope mailed requests. and of course tell the pts to look elsewhere, if they can. but yeah, it does all feel like it's part of the war.

For the more aggressive companies that have latched onto patients for their diabetic supplies, oxygen, wheelchairs, etc., I like to complete one or two of the requested boxes, leave others blank and then refax the partially completed form back to them. It gives me "plausible deniability" about sending back the form. By the way, these companies have already sent the supplies to the patient. They just need your signature to get paid.

For diabetic supplies I tend to go through and cross out things like control solution - that way if they have already sent it they get mad. I tell them that I have the pt. bring in their meter - I have boxes of control solution from samples anyway. Usually they have already sent it and get mad about it - try hard to encourage my patients not to use them - cost a lot and really over supply the pt. The only problem is that Medicare is making it harder and harder for local pharmacies to get certified to bill medicare - now costs several thousand pharmacies for license and essentially trying to wipe out small pharmacies.

Brethren after mine own heart. I can't wait to use some of your responses!!

Leslie

Leslie:

I created my signature stamp just like you did but have also moved to having a wacom tablet for signing the pdfs... is my signature, looks like my signature and so far, has been working.

Carla Gibson FNP
Missoula, MT