Do you trust your Doctor, when he's prescibing a drug? Think again.

StPeteDean · MIP Old Timer

Do you trust your Doctor, when he's prescibing a drug? Think again.

happycamper · MIP Old Timer

I dont believe any local news I see on TV , none of the big 3 CBS, ABC, or NBC.

Some things I even doubt about FOX.

We generally watch public television news or foreign.

Doctors and drug companies have been working together for years and will continue to do so.

My family doc knows I will NOT take narcotics. He knows Im a sober alcoholic.
Im currently seeing a spine and pain specialist for an auto accident and he also knows I will not take pills to fix the problems Im having.

Alot of doctors are so very quick to write that script. But ultimately its my decision.

Thanks for the article Dean.

MeadvilleAA · Newbie

Like most things, it's usually the bad doctors that make the news, fostering the misperception that they are representative of physicians as a group. It's not much of an exciting story to report "physician correctly diagnoses and treats patient's diabetes with initial advice to lose weight and exercise more. Only after falling short of adequately implementing lifestyle modification, doctor prescribes metformin (generic, not pushed by any drug reps) based on its proven efficacy, low cost, and relatively low risk of serious side effects. Physician is supportive and understanding, and still encourages patient to diet and exercise. Patient loses about ten pounds, and through the combination of lifestyle modification and medication, is able to reduce his average blood sugar levels to normal levels."

The best way to find a good doctor is to ask fellow AAs in good health who is their physician, making sure that this AA has disclosed his/her substance abuse history to the doctor, and that the doctor has given consideration in avoiding controlled substance prescriptions when other alternatives are available. There are certainly doctors in AA, although there are also good doctors who are not alcoholics.

jonijoni1 · MIP Old Timer

Whether to trust the "doctor" or not is often not the issue, so much as trusting the Pharma industry and the overly-inundated U.S. Beaurocracies responsible for public safety. While there are some "bad apples" in the bunch as far as docs go, I have worked with many, and the ones I have seen are clearly concerned about getting people well or successfully treating them at least (which equals being a successful physician) rather than being foolish and taking unfounded risks when it comes to prescribing. God knows that every practicing doctor out there is worried about 1,000,000 laws and regulations first and foremost, many of which add nothing to patient care. They also have to worry about getting sued over frivolous and unfounded claims.

Docs are so overwhelmed with pharmaceutical "reps" on a daily basis. They often moan and groan when these reps even walk through the door. They "need" the reps on one hand to supply them with samples of "good" medications which some of the patients can't afford but need. They also like to offer samples of medications that may have unpleasant side effects, so that the patient doesn't go wasting yet another copay on a medication he or she will not be able to take. A lot of doctors are truly concerned about their lower income patients being able to afford to get well.

But along with these "good" drug samples, the reps are hounding them to listen to the schpeel about the latest and newest drugs out there. And often the "clinical studies" are skewed by the drug companies, and the real solid info about a drug does not come out until mass numbers of general population are on the drug for an extended period of time. (Pharmaceutical lobbyist and their pushy tactics to "hurry up" and get drugs cleared by the FDA is a CRIME in my opinion.)

Docs simply can't work effectively at times anymore, because there are so many problems with the entire system. I can't blame them on the whole for not feeling 100% confident about some of the drugs they prescribe, when they are relying on a broken system to give them their information, all the while trying to actually DO their JOB, which is more and more difficult for them all the time.

So I applaud the docs for the most part, and what they have to go through to make a living these days. Satistically, most docs pay out over 60% of their income in overhead now, which includes malpractice insurance, and paying additional and otherwise unnecessary help to wade through the process of billing insurance companies, from whom it is harder and harder to get paid these days. Where one doc used to employ one person to handle billing, scheduling and customer service, he/she now has to employ 3.

So all I am saying is don't blame the docs. Overall, they are GOOD people and aren't "in bed" with drug companies the way people claim they are. The ones who are making the money on drugs (the drug "peddlars") and those in Washington who allow it to happen are the ones to be blamed when people get hurt.

-- Edited by jonijoni1 on Saturday 14th of August 2010 12:53:06 AM