As an addiction psychiatrist, I have seen marijuana do far more harm than good. So with the medical use of marijuana in Massachusetts now legal under state law, what should physicians do?
Recently, I attended a chilling presentation from Dr. Kevin Hill, an addiction psychiatrist at McLean Hospital, at a meeting of the Massachusetts chapter of the American Society of Addiction Medicine on the topic “Medical Marijuana: What is the Proper …
A crunchy friend of mine on Facebook re-posted something from an even crunchier friend of hers who was shocked to find that many naturopaths sell supplements. Actually, she feels that selling them is okay; so is prescribing them. But selling what they prescribe apparently tips her ethics meter over into “unacceptable”.
As I read her screed against the ND who conducted a cursory history and exam before checking off $750 worth …
First, it was the MMR-autism link—that turned out to be a complete fabrication, a fraud invented by a single “researcher” who made up his data. He was taking money from plaintiff’s lawyers, and he was trying to patent his own, competing vaccine. Too bad for the scare and the resulting surge in measles.
Then, the mercury connection. A mercury-containing preservative, thimerosal, …
Two of the biggest -selling prescriptions of all time, Plavix, an anti-platelet medication, and Lipitor, a cholesterol lowering medicine, have been available in generic form since May 2012 and November 2011, respectively. However, most retail pharmacies are still charging patients $100-$200 monthly for these medications. Why? And what does this market oddity say about our chances of lowering healthcare costs in the United States?
It’s a nightmare that doesn’t end for the family of 24-year-old Marek Lapinski, who suffered cardiac arrest recently during the removal of two wisdom teeth in a southern California oral surgery clinic. The former college football player had no known health problems prior to the surgery, but died three days later in a hospital intensive care unit.
While the circumstances of Mr. Lapinski’s death are still being investigated, the case highlights …
The FDA issued a warning about the antibiotic azithromycin (Zithromax). The media stories have some patients terrified and some of them are calling me convinced that azithromycin is poison, a reliable agent for suicide.
What’s the hubbub about?
Azithromycin is in a family of antibiotics called macrolides, which also includes erythromycin and clarithromycin (Biaxin). Erythromycin and clarithromycin have long been known to very rarely cause fatal abnormal heart rhythms. It …
My kids know that I enjoy a spirited argument. During the days when the dinner table was our public forum, I tried hard to offer a responsible voice of dissent on the issues before us. I admit now that the view I espoused was not always my own, but one that I felt merited inclusion in the discussion. I still do this with them and to others in my life …
According to a new report from Cegedim Strategic Data, DTC promotional spending declined 22% versus last year. In fact they reported that “spending in nearly every channel saw decline year over year in 2012, the only exception being direct mail, which continued an upward trend. Here are the reasons why I expect DTC marketing to continue to decline in 2013.
A recent meta-analysis published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that coenzyme Q10 is of benefit in congestive heart failure. For those who like the idea that food and nutrients can be excellent medicine, this paper is interesting at the very least. But there is a case to be made that it is far more than that. There is a case to be made …
My perspective on scientific publications has been greatly affected by my experience with this blog and social media in particular. The ability to serve as author, reviewer, advertiser and marketer can be easily achieved in this space thanks to the power of self-publishing. But with this new platform comes new responsibilities and for those of us who chose to work with people daily, perhaps none is as great as maintaining …
Quick! Can you name the leading cause of accidental death in the United States now? It is prescription drug overdose. Since 2009 death from legally prescribed narcotics has led auto accident deaths as the number one cause of accidental death in the United States. More than 15000 die now annually.
On October 5, 2012 the Wall Street Journal on its front page published …
I am sure Oprah had spectacular ratings for her Lance Armstrong interview and so, in the spirit of truth-telling, I have another mea culpa show for Ms. Winfrey to consider: vaccine safety.
Until Jenny McCarthy got major air time the link between vaccines and autism was relatively fringe. But with Oprah in September of 2007 McCarthy, and by extension Andrew Wakefield, the erroneous link …
Colorado and Washington state have legalized the recreational use of marijuana. I thought this would take longer to legislate, especially with the recent backlash from the federal government about medical marijuana. Eighteen states (including California, Alaska, Vermont and Oregon) allow marijuana to be used for medical reasons, but have restrictions on which conditions can be treated with it, which don’t necessarily correlate …
Am I an apologist for the pharmaceutical companies? I don’t think so, but others may disagree based on some sympathetic Whistleblower posts that have appeared in this blog. It is without question that the drug companies have been demonized and portrayed as rapacious gangs of greed who seek profit over all. Haven’t you come across the pejorative term, Big Pharma? Linguistical note: …
In 1804, Frederich Serturner experimented with opium and created something new—morphine—named after the Greek god of sleep and dreams, Morpheus. More than 200 years later, at least 8 million Americans fall asleep at night under the influence of an opioid. Every morning, 40 of them don’t wake up.
As described in a previous article on this subject, the United States is in the grip of a prescription opioid disaster: with 2 …
Use of generic drugs has the potential to reduce annual consumer spending on prescriptions by billions. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine and discussed in the New York Times’ Economix blog in 2012 looked at Medicare Part D expenditures and correlated them with drug prescribing patterns. The regions of the United States with the highest Medicare expenditures were those where …
Former Boston Red Sox closing pitcher Jonathan Papelbon may have opened up a can of worms with his remarks about his frequent use of the injectable anti-inflammatory drug Toradol (ketorolac) during his time with the Red Sox.
Papelbon, who now plays for the Philadelphia Phillies, told ESPNBoston.com that several Red Sox players were frequently injected with the drug:
For as long as I can remember I have tended to develop a bad cough nearly every time I get sick in the cold and flu season. I’m not sure if I have a minor tendency to bronchospasm or if my years of passive smoke exposure as a child somehow damaged my lungs. Who knows, but I seem to have the tendency for every URI become a lingering bronchitic cough.
One of the true joys of being a primary care doctor is partnering and educating patients to make the best decision for themselves and their families. Though they may not always agree with what I have to say, at least I know I’ve done my best to give them the information they need to be informed. What follows are common conversations I …
It’s almost unthinkable that in an era preoccupied with “evidence-based” medicine and “best practice” advice, one of the worst drug problems in the United States flows right out of our health care system. Unlike other major epidemics such as those connected to methamphetamine, crack cocaine or other illegal drugs, our prescription opioid problem is full of irony and agony, because it has been fueled, to a certain extent, by the …
