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The real cost of medicine

Jo_the_boat

Well-Known Member
Messages
809
Location
Littleborough, Lancashire
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I've consolidated my cynical streak over the past couple of years. Hardened by the shameful management of the 'vaccine' rollout, the truth about which is now beginning to emerge.

Actually, the seeds of my cynicism were sown by you guys and gals on here when I started exploring treatment and management of my T2 Diabetes. We learned from each other about the appalling treatment some of us got from our 'Health Care Professionals', duff dietary advice and the irresponsible issuing of drugs which may not have been necessary.
Just look at the marketing of statins to treat Cardio Vascular issues / cholesterol and you'll see how the pharmaceutical companies misled us (to be polite) over the results of their trials. Malcolm Kendrick explains this pretty clearly, as has Aseem Malhotra more recently. It's all about relative and absolute risk, something most people don't understand.

What I'm getting round to here is my wife, who's latest HBA1C was 48, has been put on Metformin. I tried to talk her into having an intensive 'health push' for a month or two and see if she can lower her numbers somewhat, but our diabetic nurse (who I have previously described as Smaug, the dragon) has persuaded her to take the tablets. We do eat healthily, low carb for sure. She can't exercise as much as she'd like due to other complaints, but our lifestyle is pretty healthy overall. I hate the thought of her popping even more pills (she's on enough already for various things) particularly when Metformin, in my opinion, is being prescribed unnecessarily.

I think I'm right that GPs surgeries get paid for prescriptions issued? Not 100% sure, but if it's true they have a incentive to get us on drugs. In fact they have an incentive NOT to make us well. It used to be the case that doctors were wined and dined by the drug companies in an effort to encourage them to use particular drugs. Does that still go on?
What difference would it make if they were incentivised to keep us off drugs? Instead, promote healthy lifestyles. Actually be honest with those of us who abuse ourselves health wise. Pills and potions are the easy options, or look to be. But are they the healthy option?

Anyhow, this is just a few thoughts for discussion.
 
It used to be the case that doctors were wined and dined by the drug companies in an effort to encourage them to use particular drugs. Does that still go on?
According to my cuz (an ex drugs rep) they now turn up with "free lunches" to feed the surgery staff whilst they give presentations about their newest wares...

In fact they have an incentive NOT to make us well.
A customer cured is a customer lost ...
 
Each CCG has a policy of gifts and hospitality, involving declarations and potential tax implications. This is similar to the approach in the Financial Services world.

At one point there was concern over rugby international and test match tickets, but like any policy, there are usually blurred edges to be exploited.
 
Aye, well if we're right, the system is rather 'open to manipulation'.
The whole of the financial rewards for practises rather than results based rewards is in my view where it all went wrong.
When many surgeries are individual businesses dependent on NHS handouts for providing their services, "curing " root causes will never be at the forefront.. a healthy population would mean no profits for the managing partners.
 
I've consolidated my cynical streak over the past couple of years. Hardened by the shameful management of the 'vaccine' rollout, the truth about which is now beginning to emerge.

Actually, the seeds of my cynicism were sown by you guys and gals on here when I started exploring treatment and management of my T2 Diabetes. We learned from each other about the appalling treatment some of us got from our 'Health Care Professionals', duff dietary advice and the irresponsible issuing of drugs which may not have been necessary.
Just look at the marketing of statins to treat Cardio Vascular issues / cholesterol and you'll see how the pharmaceutical companies misled us (to be polite) over the results of their trials. Malcolm Kendrick explains this pretty clearly, as has Aseem Malhotra more recently. It's all about relative and absolute risk, something most people don't understand.

What I'm getting round to here is my wife, who's latest HBA1C was 48, has been put on Metformin. I tried to talk her into having an intensive 'health push' for a month or two and see if she can lower her numbers somewhat, but our diabetic nurse (who I have previously described as Smaug, the dragon) has persuaded her to take the tablets. We do eat healthily, low carb for sure. She can't exercise as much as she'd like due to other complaints, but our lifestyle is pretty healthy overall. I hate the thought of her popping even more pills (she's on enough already for various things) particularly when Metformin, in my opinion, is being prescribed unnecessarily.

I think I'm right that GPs surgeries get paid for prescriptions issued? Not 100% sure, but if it's true they have a incentive to get us on drugs. In fact they have an incentive NOT to make us well. It used to be the case that doctors were wined and dined by the drug companies in an effort to encourage them to use particular drugs. Does that still go on?
What difference would it make if they were incentivised to keep us off drugs? Instead, promote healthy lifestyles. Actually be honest with those of us who abuse ourselves health wise. Pills and potions are the easy options, or look to be. But are they the healthy option?

Anyhow, this is just a few thoughts for discussion.
Due to my personal experience I totally agree with you man!
 
The problem with incentivizing not prescribing drugs, is that there are plenty of unscrupulous surgeries where necessary drugs would be withheld in order to increase profits. perhaps they should be paid by results.
 
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