Medicine is Not Always the Answer

In fact, it hardly ever is - though that is not a well advertised fact!

I have lauded Senator Charles Grassley in the past and continue to see this man as a friend to consumers of medicine. He was instrumental in starting the conversation about the influence of drug companies on prescribers and patients. Because of his efforts, the health care legislation will require what we in Florida call, sunshine.
There will be searchable database that allow you and I to review industry ties of our doctors. There have been rules in the past – there are rules now, but they were written in ways which allowed some abuses and led to the accusations of bias, greed and fraud.

One specialty, psychiatry, has the distinction of having more drug ties than others. The heads of both the American Psychiatric Association and the National Institute of Mental Health have come out with statements regarding their intention to end these relationships.

If you are wondering, the practices can be as simple as a free lunch, and as elaborate as tickets to a playoff game. Companies fund research for scientists and thus bring money into colleges. Scientists may have stock portfolios and use of private jets. Also, education and office materials with the name of the drug being promoted are often given free of charge to various practices.
I remember making a note of all the objects I saw with drug names during my last doctor visit.

I am not a fan of pharmaceuticals - period. Thomas Insel is the NIMH president and he has a current commentary in the Journal of the American Medical Association. JAMA does not offer free access to all its content and I cannot link it here. Dr. Insel did make a very important statement however and I was encouraged by it. He said that many times the ties that psychiatrists have with industry can lead them to prescribe name brand drugs over cheaper generic ones AND that the ties also influence treatment decisions – often preferring meds to some amount of behavioral therapy. It is nice to see that in print.

Medications, especially these new psychotropic meds that are advertised to the point of absurdity, have serious side effects. Talking to someone may be time consuming and oh yes, uncomfortable, but it will not make you fat or cause insulin resistance.

The next challenge? Get health insurance companies to cover the cost of “therapy” at the same rate they cover medicines!