Dr Drake

[podsart]

I am looking for others with experience with Dr Drake in NY , especially those who came from Dr Myers

[cesanon]

I would be interested in how Dr. Drake handled the the Myers prescriptions that were not solely and exclusively pure prostate cancer. Such as trental and vascepa.

I am using Dr. Sartor, but he just doesn't do that. It took some effort for me to find someone to replace that element of Myers care. I did find an internist who was a perfect plugin for that element of Myers care. (the two of them talked to each other and they both heartily approved the other)

So is Dr. Drake continuing to issue all of Myers' prescriptions... or have you had to go someplace else for them.

[podsart in reply to cesanon]

cesanon

I havent tried yet as I am still using Dr Myers renewals. I had Dr Drake's office record them.

[tarhoosier]

***Please see note below***

I was one of Myers's patients who was referred to Charles Drake earlier this year. I have now seen him three times. He has a pleasant and cheerful manner in his clinic. He is aware of Myers and the pattern of care Myers has provided his patients. He concedes that Myers follows patients far more closely than he can. At my last visit I discussed the prescriptions I am using and he had no problem with them except for Leukine injections which he wanted to suspend for three months until I see him again in February. Trental (pentoxyfilline) is one of my Rx. I am still using the prescriptions written by Myers as they do not expire until next year. When I see Drake in February I will discuss with him how to go forward with these drugs, or others. In the meantime my local oncologist who knows no more about prostate cancer than I has reviewed the drug list and said he was comfortable with offering the more common Rx from my list (statin, dutasteride, metformin, trental). These have nearly no side effect or interactions. I expect to maintain these four with my local onc since he is so accessible and keep the prostate cancer specific drugs with Drake, assuming he agrees.

My impression: Drake sees patients one day a week and is teaching and researching the rest of the time. This pattern is similar to other nationally known academic based prostate specialists. Their clinic time is a fraction of their work. Myers is clearly the outlier in patient care, as I am sure we all know. Drake uses patient visits as the opportunity to review and tune his treatment for patients rather than monthly lab updates or phone calls or emails. He sees me every three months (for now) and uses lab orders for ten days to two weeks before my visit to prepare for my appointment. Contact with him outside of visits is uncertain since his nurse practitioner moved to another position. I truly hope she will be replaced. He has been on time for my appointments, even early. I have had all the time I needed for each visit. Every question I have asked about my care, both for now and future options he has answered completely and satisfactorily. He is willing to use drugs off label indication.

The most obvious difference is going from the isolated small office building at the edge of the Appalachian trail with a library-quiet interior and only the sound of Snuffy rolling his chair down the hallway to the vortex of Manhattan, security officer at the entry lobby and swirl of activity inside and outside the building. The occasional visits can be interspersed with New York experiences though my next one in February will be to fly in one afternoon and out the next, the least expensive so far. I live 600+ miles from New York.

***It should be apparent that my experience is mine alone and should never be taken as a prediction for his care for any other patient. Make NO plans based on my experience***

[podsart]

tarhoosier

My first and only experience has been terrible. Over a number of days, I couldnt even reach the office, calls rolling over to a third party operator.

Finally, I was able to reach the office, only because someone from an adjacent Dr office picked up and left an urgent message for Dr Drake--no response

Again, a number of days later, tried to get through as I never received answer, and again that same person from another Dr answered and physically got the Dr NP. She gave me her answer but I never got an answer directly from the Dr

Will be seeing him soon, will discuss

[cesanon]

In the past I have generally sought out the most senior Docs I could find.

I have come to the conclusion, that when you have someone who is dedicated to research, but does one day a week for patients. It just never works out. It has not for me anyways.

They may have the horsepower but it never fully gets delivered to the rear wheels. Sort of like senior officer pilots who insist on doing minimum monthly hours to keep their flight pay. When the bullets start flying, they are just not functioning at their best.

I have one doc like this now. He is head of the department. But spends most of his time dedicated to research. I have developed a friendship with him and like him. There is a reason he is head of the department. But I know that I really need to get a referral from him to a full time more junior doc in his department.

[podsart]

Well said