Few things smell worse to me than the stank of a cigarette while trying to trying to load up on cholesterol via awesome blossom. Perhaps one such thing is the beguiling tale of what perverse fate has befallen the gobs of cash money rewarded to state governments from Big Tobacco.This seemingly righteous pursuit was fought by brave attorneys general of 46 various states to regain money we dished out to pay ...
Deep Ramachandran, MD
Getting insurance to cover a test requires guessing the diagnosis
We had an interesting dilemma in the office. You see, being pulmonologists we treat people with asthma, and one of the more useful drugs we have in the ammunition belt is a medication called omalizumab (Xolair).Among patients in whom it’s indicated, particularly those with severe allergic asthma, the effects can be dramatic and life altering. The problem with this drug is the cost. Actually also the administration. And the anaphylaxis. Not to mention all the ...
Dangers of the hospital press release
You may have noticed the rash of medical news spewing from your favorite news outlets with greater frequency. As a medical professional you probably cringe as you envision the calls that are about to flood your office, "Doctor Smith, I heard a report on the news that this drug you prescribed to help me quit smoking is bad for my health!" or, "I want a referral to The Hoffenheimer Institute ...
The loss of eloquence in EMR notes
Much has been made of the downside of the increasing use of EMR systems by physicians. But I am not going to dwell on those pervasive complaints concerning the cost and complexity of setting up the systems. Nor shall I rehash the well known issue of what I call "doc blocking" ... wherein a computer (or other entity) stands between the patient and physician, slowing the exchange of information to however many words can be typed per ...
Lunch money Pharma spends on physicians
Actually I’ll take a Ford Shelby GT500 Convertible, thank you very much ...Today’s stream of socially conscious thinking comes to you after having feasted on a tasty lunch paid for by a drug company (and no, it wasn’t Pfizer).It has spurred me to contemplate the ever increasing scrutiny paid to the relationship between the pharmaceutical industry (a.k.a. Big ...
