Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog

Well, you can tell that to the state legislature in Oklahoma, who evidently think in is now OK for optometrists, who have not gone to medical school, or done a medical internship or surgery training in a residency to wield a scalpel against their patients. Those crazy ophthalmologists! Why do they waste all that time going to medical school and doing a residency? Why waste time, effort and money by demonstrating your qualifications to a board when you can simply have your friendly local legislator declare them for you.

I am waiting for that brain trust in the Oklahoma legislature to allow tree surgeons to do orthopedic surgery. They operate on limbs too, don't they?
 

Can't agree with that. Systems have to evolve. Remember, the 'system' used to say that just MDs could do it, period. If we kept on using that system, we wouldn't have PAs or NPs doing prescriptions now, and possibly not existing as professions at all.
 

Let's just get rid of prescriptions. Prescription software generally does a better job than do doctors, anyway.

I know you guys don't like to hear it--but as a computer developer, I've seen the programs in action.
 

Hmmm ... seems the computer developer may have confirmation bias ... but then I could be wrong.

What we need is the John Henry of physicians and the Deep Blue of medical prescription software competing in a head-to-head evidence-based trial to settle this battle once and for all. Frankly, my money's on the docs, but at the very worst this could help determine some flaws in diagnostic programs.
 

As a future DO, I would just like to say that your comment was offensive to me. We are just as qualified to diagnose diseases and treat them. Even treat them with *gasp* medications. Your close-mindedness is what has set back acceptance for us.
 

I'm a PA and I'm fully qualified to write prescriptions. If I were unable to do so, I would be unable to do my job. I took the same pharmacology classes in PA school that are taught in medical school. In fact, most all of my classes are the same as are taught in medical school: biochemistry, anatomy with dissection, pathophysiology, clinical medicine, pharmacology, etc. I was taught "in the medical model" (whatever that means). I passed my medical boards, which are 1/4 pharmacology. I studied incredibly hard to reach the apex of my professional capacity. I do almost the same job as physicians and get paid much less than they do, which goes to show that PAs are cost effective, and provide excellent patient care, which includes pharmacological therapy.

All that being said, I realize this thread was not an argument against PAs having the ability to prescribe. I was heartened, in fact, to see defense of my profession. But I just wanted to throw in my 2 cents because I'm that kinda girl ;)