[Vision2020] America's Health Care is a National Disgrace

[g. crabtree]

Mr. Rumelhart you are right. How could a lowly "couch potato" actually have 
any valid input into his own health care. I'm certain that we, as patients, 
will all be much better off if we just shuffled through the doctors offices 
like the mindless sheep that we apparently are. The very idea that, as 
informed consumers, we could possibly have any insight into our own 
treatment is ridicules. Best we simply sit back and do as we are told by our 
betters. Perhaps it would be a good idea to apply this principle to all 
aspects of our pathetic little lives and joyfully accept whatever the powers 
that be command us to do. The very idea of imposing on the great and 
powerful physician, by suggesting that a product that we were made aware of, 
whether it be through a TV or magazine ad or research done by whatever 
means,  might be of benefit to us is, clearly, overstepping the bounds. His 
having to actually explain why it might not be the best course of treatment 
is clearly placing far too large a burden on the already beleaguered MD. (we 
probably wouldn't be able to understand anyway) People who suggest that 
patients participate in their own health care are, obviously, misguided. 
Thank you for helping me see the matter more clearly. I is obveusly two dum 
to halve a valid opinyun in this mater.

g
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Paul Rumelhart" <godshatter at yahoo.com>
To: <vision2020 at moscow.com>
Sent: Tuesday, January 09, 2007 8:40 AM
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] America's Health Care is a National Disgrace


> g. crabtree wrote:
>
>> Mr. Rumelhart opines:
>>
>> "Also, how about regulating how pharmaceutical companies can advertise?
>> I think it's amazing that people actually try to badger their doctors to
>> into letting them take specific prescription medicines they see
>> advertised on TV even when they don't need it medically."
>>
>> Perhaps one of the first procedures that nascent physicians you allude
>> to should acquire is the ability to check for a backbone in themselves
>> and their colleagues. Companies with a legal and legitimate product to
>> sell should not have their free speech curtailed. If a patient sees an
>> advert and believes that he might benefit from the product being sold
>> it seems very reasonable that he ask his doctor about its potential
>> use. If the doctor can't stand up to "badgering" perhaps he should
>> reconsider his profession and become a trial lawyer or some other
>> profession in which spine is optional.
>
>
> Whether the doctors are sufficiently macho enough to withstand this
> assault is immaterial.  I just find it interesting that the drug
> companies choose to advertise to your average couch potato who is much
> less informed than your average physician.  Not to mention that it is
> the physician that writes the prescription, so why advertise to the
> public at large?
>
> I mean, it's not like we're talking about something dangerous here.
> It's only medication.  What could go wrong?
>
> And as far as I see it, companies don't have a right to freedom of
> speech.  They are not people, and shouldn't be treated like they are
> people.  Their speech is supposedly regulated, and for good reason.
> Didn't we used to have laws about what drugs could be advertised on TV?
>
> Paul
>
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