One of my otherwise well behaving patient , suddenly asked me this question , before leaving my clinic after a 15 minute consult .
Doctor . . . I am taking the clopidgrel and aspirin for 5 years like a vitamin tablet . . . is that all right doctor ?
I just got curious, I checked the prescription again . Yeh , he was right !
I have been mechanically writing Tablet Clopitab A since 2008 !
For what ?
Some sort of CAD ! Was it for ACS ? No , it was for chronic stable angina . No PCI, . . . no DES !
Why the hell he is taking dual anti-platelet therapy for 5 years ?
Some body , some where , has prescribed it . This man is taking it for years together with absolute sanctity.
I was amused . . . it is also my mistake . Why it never struck me to scrutinize the prescription ?
I thanked him . I removed clopidogrel from the list , and asked him to continue tablet Ecosprin 150mg for some time .
( And now I had a genuine doubt ! Does he have CAD at all ! I browsed his file , I couldn’t find a true documentation for CAD as I feared !)
I asked him to get back with an exercise test , . . . if it comes negative i can even stop the aspirin as well I explained him ! (Now he got amused !)
Final message
Who wants Knowledge ?
It is dumped every where , free of cost . . . both in real and cyber world .Applying it requires more sense . and my patient taught me that !
Patients not only help us earn our bread and butter , they do enrich our brain as well ! Never get humiliated when a patient teaches you a lesson in medicine !
Dr.S.Venkatesan MD 