Most of his patients are 75 or older. At least half take medicine for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, irregular heartbeats or chest pain. National experts estimate that 70 to 80 percent of Americans are not taking medicines that could help them avoid heart attacks, strokes and premature death. Gordon knows firsthand how difficult it can be to make sure patients are getting the right drugs in the right doses. Sometimes the fax is tied up all day, and it takes two or three days to get through.
Some patients buy their medicines at three different pharmacies to get the lowest prices.
Others wait until the last minute to ask for a refill. Gordon's secretary, Carol Loy, said she has encountered pharmacy clerks who cannot speak English and put her call on hold until the pharmacist answers. Sometimes, Gordon said, his office receives duplicate requests because the health care agency or pharmacy has lost the first authorization. Paperwork is not the only obstacle, however. Every time Gordon writes a prescription, he must consider not only which medicines are best for his patients but also their ability to pay for the drugs.