The last 3 times I've been to this place, it was quick, easy and convenient. I haven't been here since last winter and boy did things change! I can always tell when I am getting a sinus infection. The last 3 times I've gone here, the nurse listened to me and then prescribed an antibiotic. I know my body and I know what I need.
After more than 2 days of feeling ill, I decided to go to the Minute Clinic to try and head the infection off at the pass. I thought it would be quick and easy and I would be out in no time (you know, like before). When I arrived there were 6 people in the system ahead of me. I knew it would take over an hour, but I had no idea how ridiculously long it would actually take.
It took more than 3 hours to be seen and then the nurse did not listen to my concerns and did not take my complaints seriously. In fact, she seemed more interested in explaining that her computer kept freezing than she did in treating my sinus infection.
The first thing she said to me when I entered the exam room, after waiting almost 3 hours to see her, was that she was overworked. She even said "I need more help, don't you think I need more help. I told my manager that when she was here earlier." All I could think is, why are you complaining about being too busy for 5 minutes - just get the exam underway.
I explained my history and asked her to look it up in her computer. She apparently didn't hear me - which is no surprise because she spent almost the entire exam with her back to me complaining about how slow the computer was running.
She did eventually diagnose a sinus infection. However, she refused to prescribe an antibiotic, even though my symptoms were identical to the last several times that I have been in. Instead she told me to use a vaporizer, a Neti pot, cough syrup, the generic version of Sudafed (which interacts badly with other medication I am on, which she should have known), and an allergy medication. Only the allergy med was prescription--the rest was over-the-counter. However, she could not explain to me how the antihistamine would assist with my sinus infection.
When I questioned why I was not receiving the antibiotic that I had received in the past, I was informed that it wasn't bad enough yet, and to see my regular doctor in ten days. What was the point in seeing her then?
Perhaps her poor diagnosis can be explained by the fact that she didn't listen to what I described as my symptoms. I know this because the printout that she gave me afterward included symptoms that I had not mentioned and were factually incorrect (I "had a dry throat") and other symptoms that might have played into a proper diagnosis (sore chest, congestion, sore throat) were omitted. My recommendation, based on this person's apparent knowledge, skill, and predispositions, is to save yourself the money and just buy a bunch of over-the-counter meds that look like they might work, or try a holistic approach, cause that's all she seemed to be interested in doing.
Oh, and make sure you bring cash, because when your insurance doesn't pay for her "advice," they will directly bill your credit card for the full amount. All I could think was, I wasted over three hours of my life and $69.00 for this. Needless to say, I will be waiting the usual three hours at my doctor's office in the future. read more