The newest drug problem on campus....

[jross]

I enjoyed V for Vendetta

We are a drug loving society, and our young people learn to use drugs very early on. We (parents, doctors, teachers, ad agencies) teach them that there is a drug for anything that might possibly ail them, or just for fun. The Pharmaceutical companies manufacture the drugs, often with government support, and market them to the masses. The pushers/MDs give out free samples to get people hooked, or at least using. And, if you can't afford all the drugs the MD and the ads on TV tell you you need, the manufacturers have a special program to reduce your costs. It's important to drug manufacturers and dealers to keep the customers coming back.

Then, the pharmaceutical, tobacco and alcohol industries work hard with people who make money off the illegal drug trade, (cartels, law enforcement agencies, and such) to keep pot and other drugs illegal. If you go to your primary pusher, you can get a prescription for THC, and legal forms of most other drugs which are synthesized and manufactured by the pharmaceutical companies, and distributed through places like Wally World. There are a lot of people who depend on pot being illegal.

As long as their parents, coaches, teachers, preachers, heros etc. continue to use drugs, I don't expect our young people to quit using them.

God I could go for an Irish coffee right now.

[claimtruth]

don't doctors take some kind of oath, make some sort of promise..to have their patient's best interest in mind?
How can you trust your own doctor these days, when he will prescribe you something just because he wants to do what all the other doctors are doing and he likes the jason's deli sandwiches the pharmaceutical sales rep brings once a month when he gives his spiel on the drug of the month-and then we have to have 3 more prescriptions to go along with it to combat the side effects of the first drug?
How much say do we actually have in our own care? If we don't agree with the meds that are prescribed for us, are we going "against medical advice"?
Seriously

[IronfootMcGurk]

Doctors are supposed to have your best interest in mind, given the 10-15 minutes out of their day that they can consider your case. Sure, all of would benefit if our doctors took an hour at a time, several times a year, to think about us and advise us. But given the current structure of medical practice, they don't have or don't take that time. [Except for concierge care, http://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/01 ... 2645.shtml]

As for meds, that is another aspect of the magic bullet mentality. Got a problem, prescribe a pill. Considering that physicians' main source of drug information is the drug companies and the salesmen, how can you blame them?

[jross]

I caught an interview last night. I think it was on the Daily Show, but I was drugged, so it's a little hazy.

An author and John (I think), were discussing the pharmaceutical and advertising agencies ability to target a country/society to maximize sales. Apparently, anti-depressants are really big in Japan.

Different strokes for different folks....As long as a licensed pharmaceutical company manufactures what strokes you, and you obtain it via prescription from a licensed MD.

[claimtruth]

Doctors are supposed to have your best interest in mind, given the 10-15 minutes out of their day that they can consider your case. Sure, all of would benefit if our doctors took an hour at a time, several times a year, to think about us and advise us. But given the current structure of medical practice, they don't have or don't take that time.

I think they don't take that time. They could, but don't. OF course there are exceptions. I love my PCP, he is really good-he spends at least 30-45 minutes with me each time-going over everything and discussing, question and answer session-everything. He is a busy doctor-but he makes the time. I think he is the first one to get to the office in the morning and the last one to leave. He takes an hour lunch break....but my "specialist" on the other hand;; completely different story. He comes in at 9-even though there are 3 8:30 appointments scheduled, and spends all of 5 minutes with me when it's my turn. He doesn't remember me from time to time. Yes, he's a busy man-but it's by choice. He doesn't have to schedule that many patients, he can say "I'm not taking any new patients" He doesn't have to come in at 9- 9:30 and leave by 4:00. There are good doctors and bad. But the fact that many doctors don't have the "time" to spend with you-is their choice and we should demand more from our doctors. It's our health and we pay them enough.
BTW I do not think this is something that will get any better with health care reform-I fear it will get worse.