Lessons from the DME Aisle
Having worked in retail for over two years, I thought I knew what durable medical equipment (DME) was. The pharmacy that I work at does not sell DME and we refer all of our patients to an outfit in town that sells these objects. The questions I usually get at my pharmacy are from people seeking walkers, wheelchairs, shower chairs, or canes. What I have learned at my second rotation site is that these objects are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to DME. Below are ten things I have learned from the DME aisle at my rotation site.
1. DME does not begin or end with walkers and crutches.
2. The DME section at my rotation site not only knows what AKTON is, but they actually sell the products my sister's company has been making for over 30 years at Action Products.
3. You can rent a wheelchair but not a walker.
4. For many DME products, you actually have to have a "prescription" from a doctor before your insurance will pay for them.
5. You can get canes in every color and print imaginable - including leopard print.
6. There is a company that makes shoes specifically for diabetic patients.
7. For people who cannot wipe themselves due to diability, they make a product that helps you reach your butt...and it's called "Self Wipe." You don't need a prescription for it.
8. People who are paraplegics or quadraplegics have difficulty regulating their bowels - and there is a product to help with this. It is a bullet shaped insert that is placed inside the rectum to "stimulate" bowel movement. You don't need a prescription for this - and I think "The Locked Door" (an adult toy store in the same town as my rotation site) sells this product as well!
9. Men with enlarged prostates have trouble with dribbling after peeing. They make a clamp that is placed over the penis that squeezes the urethra shut. I think they sell this at "The Locked Door" as well, but I'm pretty sure it isn't called a clamp.
10. There are a lot of products that patients need to be fitted for. The DME section at my rotation site does not fit patients for penis clamps.
1. DME does not begin or end with walkers and crutches.
2. The DME section at my rotation site not only knows what AKTON is, but they actually sell the products my sister's company has been making for over 30 years at Action Products.
3. You can rent a wheelchair but not a walker.
4. For many DME products, you actually have to have a "prescription" from a doctor before your insurance will pay for them.
5. You can get canes in every color and print imaginable - including leopard print.
6. There is a company that makes shoes specifically for diabetic patients.
7. For people who cannot wipe themselves due to diability, they make a product that helps you reach your butt...and it's called "Self Wipe." You don't need a prescription for it.
8. People who are paraplegics or quadraplegics have difficulty regulating their bowels - and there is a product to help with this. It is a bullet shaped insert that is placed inside the rectum to "stimulate" bowel movement. You don't need a prescription for this - and I think "The Locked Door" (an adult toy store in the same town as my rotation site) sells this product as well!
9. Men with enlarged prostates have trouble with dribbling after peeing. They make a clamp that is placed over the penis that squeezes the urethra shut. I think they sell this at "The Locked Door" as well, but I'm pretty sure it isn't called a clamp.
10. There are a lot of products that patients need to be fitted for. The DME section at my rotation site does not fit patients for penis clamps.
posted by ahsirt at 5:24 PM
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