October 26th, 2009 by Happy Hospitalist in Better Health Network, Opinion
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That depends on if you can afford to get them. Costume lenses are all the rage for Halloween by adding an exciting dimension to the costume wearer. But did you know it’s illegal to market them as over the counter?
Many consumers do not realize that they are
FDA- regulated medical devices, and that recent legislation has made it illegal to market them as over-the-counter products. Still, they are commonly available in costume shops, beauty shops, convenience stores, novelty shops, and other places that people shop for Halloween items, as well as over the Internet.
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*This blog post was originally published at A Happy Hospitalist*
September 11th, 2009 by GruntDoc in Better Health Network, True Stories
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From an old HS buddy (also a Navy Man) now in healthcare:
Texas law makes almost any item with a doctors prescription exempt from
sales tax.
(most details at : RULE §3.284 Drugs, Medicines, Medical Equipment, and
Devices (Tax Code §151.313) Item 11 is the sort of catch all.
What is most odd item you have been asked for a prescription for purely for
tax-free purposes?
Sellers of the Select Comfort beds, and hot tub/spa dealers are very aware
of this law. Presciption needed for bed, letter and presciption needed for
hot tub/spa.
Oddest request received at clinic where I work: one for in ground pool,
heated and deep enough for water aerobics.
While I don’t notice it on that list, food for helper animals is exempt
from sales tax.
Interesting also, repair parts for devices are exempt, but not
*improvements*. If you replace like for like wheel on a walker, it is tax
free. Replace with improved wheel-taxable.
I’ve never been asked to write a prescription for anything like that in the ED, but I’d be willing to bet my office-based colleagues have. Care to share?
*This blog post was originally published at GruntDoc*
August 15th, 2009 by GruntDoc in Better Health Network, True Stories
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Allegedly for “not writing a prescription”…
Dr. Paul Arnold turned his back for a moment on a patient who was upset because the doctor wouldn’t write him a prescription.
That’s when the patient, Gregory S. Powell, 45, of Fort Myers, allegedly attacked Arnold, 65, biting off part of one of the doctor’s fingers.
As my tipster says “…probably wasn’t about refusing an amoxicillin script…”.
In custody; no word on the doc, and best wishes.
Thanks to Glenn (a true homie) for the tip.
*This blog post was originally published at GruntDoc*
July 29th, 2009 by KevinMD in Better Health Network, Opinion
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When it comes to opiate drugs, like morphine, there is a bitter debate between patients who are in chronic pain, and the doctors who are vilified for under or over-prescribing these medications.
But there are some other subtle influences that push doctors to prescribe these drugs, in some cases inappropriately. An ER physician talks about the issue, saying, “when dealing with a patient who is in pain, or appears to be, it can be impossible to sort out when a patient needs opiates for legitimate reasons, and when it is merely feeding a long term addiction. We are trained to provide comfort and relief from suffering to our patients, and we generally will err on the side of treating pain, rather than withholding addictive medications.”
There is also the pressure to provide “patient satisfaction,” and indeed, low scores in this area can place a doctor’s job in jeopardy. Taking a stand against those who inappropriately request opiates will result in low patient satisfaction scores, and “will often times result in arguments, profanity, and calls and letters to administration.”
What’s the answer? Perhaps a little less reliance on these scores, since a good patient satisfaction score is not necessarily correlated with proper medicine.
*This blog post was originally published at KevinMD.com*
