Are doctor's glorified legal drug dealers? Good question isn't it? Lol. Some of them really want to help and cure, yes. This is a true statement, but where is the line drawn. They can make around $50,000 extra just from writing the script alone. Hmmm why is that? They get a kick back. You might have to be on this the rest of your life. You want to step back if they say that to you. I guess if you want to increase their monthly and yearly salary for them. A doctor should offer natural alternatives if they are genuinely trying to help you. I had one say we can do this drug or chelated minerals. You like natural so lets do the minerals. She sold them to me. NOW that is someone who cares. Yes she wants to make the buck, but look at how. Drug dealer or health care practitioner, doctor or dealer?
Not a doctor yet, but can totally relate. And the answers is NO, because that would mean that all of them are. Indeed, there are a lot of doctors doing the dirty work for the big pharma companies, but most of the doctors (that I know) stay true to their cause. In my country, most of the people are poor and can not afford expensive medicines, reason why they are often prescribed generic drugs, which are cheaper.
Like in any profession there is good and bad. I believe most doctors are good and don't over prescribe drugs. They only prescribe them in cases where they are needed. I have been to doctors though who would write prescriptions for anything and everything. I actually refused meds that I knew I really didn't need. The last doctor I went to because I needed a renewal on my bloods pressure meds actually asked me if I needed any other prescriptions. He said he could write anything that I wanted up for me. I told him no that my blood pressure meds was all I needed. I was a bit taken back by that. I realized how easy it was to get any prescription meds you wanted without question depending on the doctor you went to see. A doctor here went to prison a few years back for that. She needed up committing suicide while in jail.
Eeeh, on the other side, I remember a physician and university teacher saying that, as far as he's concerned, more doctors should prescribe physical exercise as a first cure to many ills. But people would rather have a pill than exert themselves many times. More's the pity.
Things are slightly different here in the UK. Our healthcare system is free and there is a set charge for all drugs so there is little incentive for doctors to overprescribe. Of course, they still get pressured by drug companies to push their latest panacea but on the whole, the government puts a lot of pressure on our doctors to prescribe the cheapest treatments possible.
Not all doctors could be categorized as legal drug dealers but there definitely are some. The area I grew up in has had numerous doctors arrested in the past few years for just writing prescriptions for painkillers and other drugs to people who did not need them. Just like all professions you have your good and your bad, most doctors are good people that want to help their patients regardless of whatever kickbacks they get from the pharmaceutical companies, others not so much.
Our politicians should learn from your government. We do pay a lot for our health insurance and, unfortunately, there are still doctors over-prescribing; not in my area from what I know, but rather in the richest parts of Romania.
Interesting I've heard some good things about the UK and France. Nice to hear some good things. Yes there are the good and the bad. Ethical and with really good intentions, we hope. The US should have a free health care system too. Our system is based on greed otherwise they would do it the way the UK does it. L_B says the doctor wanted to know if you needed any other prescription. This is what I am talking about. A person who wants recreational add ons would have jumped on that. Xanax or whatever they like. Blue dressed; eating healthy and exercise yeah that would be a good prescription. Yes imagine if the majority of doctors pushed for this. It's true some people don't want to exercise. There are so many factors that play into this. Mal-nutrition, majority of people do not actually eat properly so they have no energy or desire to do anything. Like zombies they just go with the masses here in the US. Studying to be a doctor and posting in an addiction forum. Isn't that interesting. Yeah you can learn a lot reading what people have to say here. I think most doctors have good intentions when they first start out. The real test is in the long run. I admire doctors who are ahead of the curve when it comes to treatment that actually works. I was reading about this guy Dr. Julian Whitaker. He had a patient that had gangrene in one of his legs. Nothing was working they tried everything. The guy was about to loose his leg. Whitaker poured sugar on it, cured it. Pretty cool if you ask me. People are deficient in glucose, fruit sugars. It's great this doctor could have even thought of such a thing to do.
I reckon some doctors can give medication to the patients and also it is a way to maybe get the medication out, and also some people tend to rely on the medication and think it will help them out forever. In New Zealand healthcare is free for NZ residents and it is good and there is funding for hospital stays, and operations which are a relief for people as in other countries it can cost a bit. Medications are subsided and also if you have a health card it means you can pay less than the original amount, and it is good to get discounts which makes it easy for some people.
Some doctors out there are corrupt, yes, but you are judging them too harsh. After all, it's their job to prescribe people medication, and it's the patient's responsibility to take it as prescribed, and not abuse it. And I believe doctors know what should be done way better than the patient, as they studied a lot in their youth. Therefore, I can say that doctors are NOT drug dealers and should be respected.
I think some of them just want to help people and that's the whole reason they go into the field, they aren't necessarily awake. But then a lot of them realize, or already knew, that they are just glorified drug dealers. Especially when they have to prescribe more pills to take care of the side effects of the pills someone is already taking.
I don't think most doctors see themselves as drug dealers. Even tho there really is something fishy about people being on one prescription for the rest of there lives. There are some doctors who do subscribe natural alternatives like you said. The only thing about doctors is some will try to take advantage of you if you don't know any better. But overall I can't say that all doctors are just glorified drug dealers.
I heard once from a friend of mine who is employed as a nurse that doctors work for the pharmaceutical companies. There quick to prescribe people drugs that they don't need. I personally had a doctor try to make me stay on a drug that I was clearly allergic to. I came home and researched and found another company that manufactured the same drug and had him change my prescription. He really didn't want to but he did and the rashes disappeared. This made me wonder if my friend was right.
I have all ways said doctors are nothing but drug dealers. If you aren't hooked on anything chances are if you go to a doctor you will be soon. It's just to easy for them to put you on medicine they don't even try anything else. Break out the pad, and write that prescription.
It is a good question indeed and I think you make a good point. I know of many people, drug users, who have intentionally gone to their doctor to get prescribed medication which they can use to get high. Antidepressants used to be a popular choice. Valium is another. Many of them seemed to have no problem getting their hands on what they wanted.
I do think that doctors sometimes over prescribe medication instead of looking at other ways to help people, but to say theyr glorified dealers is a bit harsh I think. What doesn't help over here in the UK, with all the cutbacks in place, doctors are having less and less time to deal with a patient properly, so they might not have any other option but to treat a patient with drugs.
Well, There is a lot more that goes into being a doctor than dispensing drugs. Most doctor's are in the field so they can genuinely help people. All drugs are not bad, and some save lives. However, I agree with some of the above posters that it seems most doctor's are too quick to dispense medication for problems that might be able to be handled in different ways.
It maybe be true that there are some doctors who just like to earn more money and care less about the patients. You know the saying that money talks and that some are willing to do anything to have money, more money. But that might be just true for very few and still lots of doctors who care.
Yes you are right. The ones that do actually care well they just need to realize that they need to be ultra careful with what they do prescribe and if there is a healthier way to help a person. They should do that first before any prescriptions. This is a truly ethical doctor that cares. I've had a few like this that talk to you about diet, exercise, and supplements.
Yes you are right. What I said was harsh. Its more to get people to realize than complete truth. They are legal prescription drug suggesters maybe. Since they are looked at as somewhat of an authority most look at them as being the complete answer. Interesting that you are saying doctors in the UK have less time so they are more inclined to prescribe. I guess medical is paid by the government there. It is all going to boil down to the difference between right and wrong. Integrity and ethical actions. Maybe if doctors had the time to watch the prescription drug commercials on TV they might think twice. I mean you have to laugh at the side effects they are worse than the problems they are prescribed for.