Superbug?

[pilotwife3]

Originally Posted by czechmate

Because it's not about health, it's about money.

When it's flu season, we wash our hands with soap and warm water, get extra rest, exercise, drink h20, and try to eat better.


Jen

And a big Amen to that, Jen! It literally amazes me that the simple act of handwashing after the facilities or being out escapes people. I'm tired of washing my hands/using a towel/holding onto the doorhandle/and then pitching the towel towards the garbage can because you know that handle is covered with something..

And what ever happened to covering your mouth when you sneeze or cough? Cripes if we didn't zip to the docs for every minor blip we wouldn't have super bugs. They've been predicting this for years.

And it is about $$ - some drs writing scripts for every little ailment. Kickbacks or whatever it's referred to in the medical circle. There is alot to account for in the medical community and parents just downright smart raisin' their kids right

Don't get me wrong - there are a lot of docs that won't give ya a pill for everything.

[Dana]

Originally Posted by pilotwife3

And it is about $$ - some drs writing scripts for every little ailment. Kickbacks or whatever it's referred to in the medical circle. There is alot to account for in the medical community and parents just downright smart raisin' their kids right

Don't get me wrong - there are a lot of docs that won't give ya a pill for everything.

I am not sure what "kick back" you are referring to. We don't get any kick back in our area..... you might want to ask this of the pharmaceutical companies and some pharmicies??? The only kick I know of in the medical area is the kick in the @SS when we get sued.

85% of what I am seeing right now is allergy and viral stuff. Patients come in and want, no make that demand, an antibiotic. "I have had a sore throat for 1-2 days and I want you to make it better".

I spend so much of my time trying to educate patients that an antibiotic will not help them in this case and may make things much worse for them down the line. Most people thank me for the info. others get mad and say they will never be back.

The drug companies have done and excellent job in marketing their products in magazines and on TV. If you notice, those medications are fairly new meds costing the most on your insurance plans (highest co-pays). That is because these new medications, for the most part, are slight variations of an older drug that have recently gone off patent and is now available generic.

They want you to believe that it cost billions to do R &D on these drugs and sometimes it does, but ever wonder on what they spend on MARKETING???? Drug reps make LOTS of money. Most make more than me and I am the one with the liability, not them!! And trust me, the drug companies are not "giving us anything" other than a free pen!.... AS IT SHOULD BE.


If you don't already, ask your provider for a generic alternative when possible. Sometimes, newer is better. Most of the time, it is not!

If you don't already know about these programs you should:

Costco drug pricing=


http://i.walmart.com/i/if/hmp/fusion..._drug_list.pdf



http://sites.target.com/images/pharm...ogram_list.pdf
$4.00 prescriptions, literally 100's of different medications that will cost you less than your co-pay at most other places....

This is the greatest thing I have seen in a long time. Do you know how much we save people by telling them about this program every day? I have pt's tell me the can eat now this week and take their meds and not choose between the two or now they can take a whole pill and not just a half of dose per day because they couldn't afford the medication or others take their meds every other day like it is prescribed because they couldn't afford to take it daily before???

I am sorry if I offend anyone in the pharmacy industry on this site but this "kick back" really struck a cord with me.
/end rant

[Dana]

[quote=czechmate;45983]Because it's not about health, it's about money.
Years ago it was only for the elderly and people with weakend immune systems, now it's for everyone.

There is probably some truth to that statement. I believe the flu shot is very beneficial to high risk groups of people; elderly, those with weakend immune systems, people with severe medical problems, etc.

For the most part, if we are healthy individuals we can withstand the illness. Those above, it may kill them if they get the flu.

It is very interesting to note that there are very few pharmaceutical companies that actually make the vaccine. This is due to low profit margins, high cost of R & D and liability.... That is why there are shortages now and then. This is starting to improve but I am sure they are being subsidized by the government for it also

[Kristie]

Originally Posted by Dana

Costco drug pricing=


http://i.walmart.com/i/if/hmp/fusion..._drug_list.pdf



http://sites.target.com/images/pharm...ogram_list.pdf

ohhh thanks! i keep forgetting about these sites!

just too bad that none of my products have a generic

[pilotwife3]

Originally Posted by Dana

I am not sure what "kick back" you are referring to. We don't get any kick back in our area..... you might want to ask this of the pharmaceutical companies and some pharmicies??? The only kick I know of in the medical area is the kick in the @SS when we get sued.

85% of what I am seeing right now is allergy and viral stuff. Patients come in and want, no make that demand, an antibiotic. "I have had a sore throat for 1-2 days and I want you to make it better".

I spend so much of my time trying to educate patients that an antibiotic will not help them in this case and may make things much worse for them down the line. Most people thank me for the info. others get mad and say they will never be back.

The drug companies have done and excellent job in marketing their products in magazines and on TV. If you notice, those medications are fairly new meds costing the most on your insurance plans (highest co-pays). That is because these new medications, for the most part, are slight variations of an older drug that have recently gone off patent and is now available generic.

They want you to believe that it cost billions to do R &D on these drugs and sometimes it does, but ever wonder on what they spend on MARKETING???? Drug reps make LOTS of money. Most make more than me and I am the one with the liability, not them!! And trust me, the drug companies are not "giving us anything" other than a free pen!.... AS IT SHOULD BE.


If you don't already, ask your provider for a generic alternative when possible. Sometimes, newer is better. Most of the time, it is not!

If you don't already know about these programs you should:

Costco drug pricing=


http://i.walmart.com/i/if/hmp/fusion..._drug_list.pdf



http://sites.target.com/images/pharm...ogram_list.pdf
$4.00 prescriptions, literally 100's of different medications that will cost you less than your co-pay at most other places....

This is the greatest thing I have seen in a long time. Do you know how much we save people by telling them about this program every day? I have pt's tell me the can eat now this week and take their meds and not choose between the two or now they can take a whole pill and not just a half of dose per day because they couldn't afford the medication or others take their meds every other day like it is prescribed because they couldn't afford to take it daily before???

I am sorry if I offend anyone in the pharmacy industry on this site but this "kick back" really struck a cord with me.
/end rant

Sorry I struck a cord with you but did ya read my whole post? I don't believe I indicated that every doctor was responsible. And the medical community to me incorporates pharm. companies and pharmacies.

Sorry but the Superbug is nothing new...they have been predicting strains that were becoming resistent to antibiotics for years. And they have attributed it to over prescribing - just two sources linked below

Super-Resistant Superbugs, Lesley Stahl Reports On Drug-Resistant Infections - CBS News

ABC News: Staph 'Superbug' Deadlier Than AIDS?

And here's an interesting one as well..

Drug Makers Battle A U.S. Plan to Curb Rewards for Doctors - New York Times

Maybe it's not happening in your neck of the woods, but it has happened. Not everyone in the medical profession is adverse to some freebies in return for prescribing the newest drug.

Just to let you know how ignorant we are north of the border. In 1994 they built a level 4 containment facility for dangerous diseases in Etobicoke (at Toronto International Airport). Cost the taxpayers approx. 5.8 mil. Great idea - right beside the largest airport in Canada. So what happened? Never opened...politics/incensed residents. So what do they do? They build the lab in Winnipeg, Manitoba (basically the boonies of Canada) for the cost of $175 mil. Oh yeah....