Heather Reed

Review of Westcare Clinic

Like a previous reviewer, when I went in suffering...

Like a previous reviewer, when I went in suffering from a weeklong cold, thinking I needed antibiotics, the P.A., "fixated on unrelated parts of my medical history...". My primary physician is a naturopath, and I prefer to see her, but she's not open on weekends. My husband and son both had just been ill with a similar infection right up to my catching it, and both needed antibiotics. I'm not one to jump on the antibiotics bandwagon, but I felt I had let it run its course and wasn't getting better; e.g., I'd begun to cough up things they tell you mean it's time to see a doctor. Knowing I'd have a long wait at urgent care, it still seemed a good idea to try to start antibiotics over the weekend so I could go back to work on Monday. The P.A. didn't reveal whether he saw or heard infection in my throat, ears or chest until I asked him and stated, as though I was lying about my symptoms, that he just wasn't seeing anything and was simply "stating the truth." Had he told me that as he examined me and that he felt it was just a virus that would have been sufficient. I understand that not all colds lead to infections. He took copious notes, which was incredibly irritating and, to use another patient's explanation, "fixated" on why I was taking a medication my naturopath prescribed and how it affected me. And, even though I stated I couldn t take an antihistamine when I talked with the nurse prior to seeing him, he wrote a prescription for cough syrup with codeine and for an antihistamine. I feel for people who have to rely on this clinic for their care. It's not worth the wait.