<i>The first rule of sales is to pitch the decision maker.</i><p>You may need a prescription from a doctor to get a drug, but that doesn&#x27;t mean you aren&#x27;t the <i>decision maker.</i><p>After finally getting a proper diagnosis for my condition, doctors began asking me &quot;What typically works for you?&quot; or &quot;What drug do you like&#x2F;is your preference?&quot; I had a long history of health problems, thus lots of experience with what worked for me. After they gave me a proper diagnosis (and thus quit acting like dismissive assholes), I could walk into a doctor&#x27;s office and say &quot;I am having Yadda problem. I want (this list of meds) and am open to suggestions as to what else you think might help me.&quot; And get it.<p>Ultimately, I was the <i>decision maker.</i> The doctor&#x27;s job was, in part, to inform me what my options were. But no one just crammed their medical opinion down my throat, even before I had a proper diagnosis and doctors were routinely being jerks to me and acting like I was some kind of hypochondriac.