Industry Bias in Biomedical Science

An interesting article written by Christopher T. Robertson titled “The Money Blind: How to Stop Industry Bias in Biomedical Science, Without Violating the First Amendment,” appears in the American Journal of Law and Medicine (vol. 37, pages 358-387, 2011). The article discuses how the medical industry spends billions of dollars to create innovative products but also spends nearly as much to change the behavior patterns of those interested to make sure the products are purchased. The author states “As a veteran of the industry writes, ‘ in the pharmaeeutieal industry, there are two ways to market an approved drug for a new use: the ‘indication’ route—performing studies necessary for regulatory approval—or the ‘publication’ strategy, whieh stimulates off-label prescribing by using research ‘to disseminate the information as widely as possible through the world’s medical literature.’ “ A mention is made of a candid document by Pfizer which states … Read more

Decode Medical Bills

Here is an interesting info-graphic about health care in the U.S.

Being Thankful For What We Have A Dentist Perspective

An interesting article ran in the MyView Section of the American Dental Association titled “A time to be thankful for all that we have,” written by Richard A. Mufson, D.D.S., and published November 7, 2011. http://www.ada.org/6541.aspx In the article Dr. Mufson discusses how he will typically ask other dentists the standard question of “how are you?” This typically goes into discussions of the dental practice and whether or not financially the practice is doing well or not. Dr. Mufson then says he had no real desire to talk about the dental practice but about how the person really is. Dr. Mufson goes on to say “When caught up in our daily routines and the trials and tribulations of everyday life, many of us may not always be closely in touch with, nor take the time to be grateful for, aspects in our … Read more

Professionalism of Medicine in the 21st Century

An article is titled Medical Professionalism in the New Millennium: A Physician Charter in the Annals of Internal Medicine, vol. 136, no. 3, pages 243-246, February 5, 2002, http://www.annals.org/content/136/3/243.full?ijkey=49cf14ffb35a6afdba3a14871f01fb39ad23066f&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha In the second paragraph appears the words: “…conditions of medical practice are tempting physicians to abandon their commitment to the primacy of patient welfare” The article then goes on to discuses a preamble “Professionalism is the basis of medicine’s contract with society. It demands placing the interests of patients above those of the physician, setting and maintaining standards of competence and integrity, and providing expert advice to society on matters of health. The principles and responsibilities of medical professionalism must be clearly understood by both the profession and society. Essential to this contract is public trust in physicians, which depends on the integrity of both individual physicians and the whole profession.” The … Read more

Coupons.com Save Money While You Buy Food

I have recently been using a website called coupons.com frequently whenever I am going to go to the grocery store. I feel like if you have a few extra minutes that you can really save some money while you shop for food at your grocery store. Coupons.com allows you to search the current available coupons in your area. You then can select which ones you like, also known as clip, and then you can install a simple piece of software in order to print out the coupons. The coupons from Coupons.com work just like normal coupons you would find in your local newspaper. The difference is is that you print them out at home with your printer. If you don’t regularly get a newspaper then Coupons.com really makes it convenient to still save money on your groceries. I personally don’t … Read more