Dr. Thompson's Blog

Choosing a Specialist

I am always amazed when an adult, even with an advanced degree, does not do more to check out any specialist they chose. Of course, if their health plan is an HMO they may not have a lot of choice.  I do not understand why anyone would get their health care from an HMO, unless financially that is all that is possible. Yet, often these same people spend money on things they could do without. 

Whenever I  have to check on a doctor, I want to see where he or she went to college, medical school, and if they are board-certified in their specialty. Now that nurses are getting doctor of nurse practitioner degrees, you want to be sure the individual you are choosing is an M.D., not a DNP, a neuropathic doctor, or an osteopath. It was a lot easier when I was growing up and we did not  have most of these specialties. Of course, even an M.D. graduating from a known medical school can be bad. I referred my teenage granddaughter to a woman M.D. who had graduated from the same medical school I  had gone to. I did not realize how badly the school was doing  with their students, which  I now know. The M.D. neither took a history and did not do a physical examination, but ordered a lot of lab tests. She did not order a urinalysis which would  have been important. Nor did she ever contact my granddaughter again. I  had to use a young voice and call for the results using my granddaughter's medical  number. 

I would check not only the things I mentioned, but also any reviews that are listed on the Internet. Asking a friend who is an M.D. can help but he or she may not know how the doctor practices. I  have had such an experience and it was not good. 

Terrible Drug Prices and Congress

Drug prices are outrageous and people are skipping needed medicines because they cannot afford them. The Biden bill, which has a section where Congress could negotiate drug prices, is not supported by three democratic representatives. One of them is Scott Peters who represents the area where I now live.  I  tried to send him an e-mail but his website does not accept e-mails to him. The facts are that CEOs of drug companies are making millions of dollars each year. For example the CEO of Roche makes $38.6 million each year. Yet he seems to  have no interest in the lives of the patients his company's medicines could help. 

Drug companies in the U.S. spend four and one-half million dollars on ads each year and hire 1200 lobbyists. The cost of drugs in the U S is far above that of any other country including Canada. Senators Bernie Sanders has taken groups to Canada to buy medicines. I think that is wonderful.

I do not understand why the 3 Democratic representatives are opposed to negotiating drug prices unless they have stock in drug companies or have wealthy wives or husbands. The other two opposing representatives are Kathleen Rice and Mr. Schrader. I hope they will change their minds and support negotiating with drug companeis. Drug prices must be reduced in the U.S.

What is Ahead for the United States?

I heard an excellent talk this weekend by Rick Steves, the travel writer and TV presenter. He talked about his concern in the many nations he had visited where the leaders worked hard to dumb-down their citizens, so they could become dictators.  As I listened I thought about how Trump tried to do this and is still trying. Not only Trump, but several of the Republican Governors. During thus awful pandemic several of the governors, who have strict vaccine requirements for kids in school, now are fighting President Biden about the vaccine mandate. That makes no sense. Not only do I see a lot of dumbing-down on TV, but I see it in our education system and sadly even in some U.S. medical schools. 

I had one doctor who never once looked at me on my visit to him but spent the whole time looking and typing on his computer. No, I never went back. Some medical schools are not teaching the art or love of medicine but it is all about clicking on computers.  Also the students are telling the heads of the programs want they will and will not do and what they will and will not listen to. It is truly amazing.  

I have great concerns about what children are learning today and their fixation  on their Smart phones and computers. I fear that many are not learning or being taught about history. One college sophomore, a friend told me, did not know who Hitler was. I was astounded.

The Cozy Relationship between the FDA and Drug Companies

There was a scary editorial today in the New York Times. It was about how some of the decisions made by doctors and others at the FDA are greatly influenced by drug companies. This does not bode well for those of us who need reliable medical experts to be sure the drugs we take are safe and appropriate.  The editorial notes that "Congress allowed the agency to collect fees from the industry it oversees to pay for the high cost of drug approvals. These fees pay much of the salaries of FDA drug workers responsible for the approval of new  drugs." Thus the FDA may be more of a partner rather than making responsible decisions about drugs. This is a scary thought. The other thing that is noted is that too many FDA personnel later go to work for drug companies.  Americans pay more for drugs than people in other countries. In other countries, prices are negotiated between governments and drug companies. This should happen in  America,  particularly for Medicare patients. 

The CEOs of drug companies, such as Roche, make enormous salaries. You would think they would respond to doctors like me who request special help for a drug  that can change the life for a spinal atrophy child. However, despite my request for one family with two spinal children, the CEO showed no interest in  having this happen. When I asked by e-mail if the CEO  had ever seen a child with spinal muscular atrophy, I got no reply. Some drug companies do set up special funds to help families that can not afford an expensive drug for a child with a disability. Roche does not seem to be one of those.