N Y Times Business Section: Can Johnson & Johnson Get Its Act Together?

As a young doctor 50 years ago, I was convinced that brand name medicines were significantly more reliable and safer than their generic equivalents. As the years went by, I realized that generic drugs provided the same medical benefits at a significantly lower price. However, I still believed that brand name drugs assured higher production standards and quality. The N Y Times article clearly indicated that is not always true. Prescribing "off brand" medicines certainly saves the patient money. But a better solution is suggesting no medicine when none are necessary. All medicines have side effects.

All medicines ARE poison!

From the time we were small children, my sisters and I knew that medicines were poison. My mother would not let us open the medicine chest in the bathroom. If we scratched our skin she would immediately apply iodine or Mercurochrome to the wound to prevent us from getting "lock jaw", the layperson's name for tetanus. Iodine was so poisonous that it even had skull and crossbones embossed on the front of its square bottle. And it burned ferociously when applied to the wound. We preferred Mercurochrome. It didn't burn when applied and it had a pretty red color. We weren't aware that it was just as poisonous as Iodine. My mother put the Iodine bottle on top of the refrigerator to insure that we couldn't reach it.
Years later, when I became a medical doctor, I prescribed medicines even though I knew that all medicines are poison. But I only prescribed medicine when I believed that the risks of the illness were worse than the potential side-effects and risks of the medication.
I supported this principle during many of my lectures, letters to the editors, radio and TV appearances and articles. This eventually lead to the publication of my book "All Medicines Are Poison!" which actually is a discussion of the sorry state of the health care arena in the U. S.

Why prescription drugs should not be advertised to the public.

Soon after I became a physician it became obvious that the pharmaceutical industry clearly reported the benefit of their medicines, but had a tendency to downplay or forget their risks and side effects. There was no advertising to the public permitted in those days. The drug representatives tended to minimize any known side effects or hazards. Adverse information regarding the product was buried in tiny print somewhere in the product brochure or not mentioned altogether. Advertising only appeared in the medical journals.
In recent years, advertisements in the public media became common. Patients who are completely uneducated regarding the risks and hazards of taking medicines often demand a medicine when none is needed and may be inappropriate.

Healthcare coverage in the U.S. Why do so many people in this Country have inadequate health coverage or none at all?

As a health arena worker and a family physician for over 60 years, I was always concerned about the fact that so many people in this Country have inadequate health care coverage or none at all. It certainly influenced how I practiced medicine. I saw to it that everyone who enter my medical office door received the treatment that they needed or was sent to an appropriate facility where they could receive it. If necessary, I would take care of their immediate needs until they could get a to free clinic or a hospital. When they were unable to pay my fee, I reduced it or canceled it. Never-the-less, I always made a very comfortable living. I believe that many of my colleagues practiced the way I did.
As a doctor, I've always been treated with great respect. I realize that I was fortunate to receive an excellent education and degrees at the five highly regarded universities that I attended. It was hard work and dedication, but worth it. I'm proud of my Country that made it possible for a poor boy from a poor family to do this and I consider what I did as a medical doctor to be pay back. Now that I'm retired from active practice, I continue to be involved in the medical arena whenever I can be of value.
I sincerely believe that at least 95% of our society are good people who wish the best for our fellow humans. Unfortunately I'm also convinced that greedy, self centered people own this Country. I'm now 85 years old. I won't be alive to see our people take our Country back, but I hope that it will happen soon.

Opinion response in the New York Times

Gail Collins has written several articles about women's health in the New York Times. I commented in response to her article "The Women’s Health Initiative and the Body Politic" explaining that as a practicing Physician, I saw many drugs, previously regarded as useful, removed from the marketplace. Read my response in full here: Women's Health, Who to Believe?

Does Darvon spell Death?

I've used Darvon as a pain relief medication for my patients ever since it first came out. It has been reported in various news media Darvon and Darvocet have just been removed from the market in November 2010. Little did I expect that a product in use since 1957 would be pulled from the market at such a late date. It has come to light that it has serious side effects including: heart attack, irregular heart rate, & interruption of heart's electrical impulses. I wonder how many of my own patients have been negatively effected by this drug based on the limited information I have had about it until now. As it turns out, it is frighteningly easy to overdose yourself on this medicine

All medicines are Poison, including Darvon. I have always considered that the benefit of its use outweighed its risks and this was backed up by the FDA's own findings. Now we find that the reverse is true and the inherent dangers have caused it to be removed from the market at the FDA's own behest. I will now have to use other drugs that are not reported to have similar consequences, yet relive the discomfort my patients suffer from. Please consult your medical professional about the continued use of this or any medicine before changing dosage on your own.

Melvin H Kirschner, MPH, MD, Family Practice.
Dr. Kirschner recently published a book entitled “All Medicines Are Poison!” It discusses the sorry state of this Country’s health system and suggests how it could be repaired. Buy it here.

Promoting Single Payer health care in California

In California,  single payer health care to cover all Californians is being promoted.   The bill was known as SB 840 (Kuehl). It was passed twice by the legislature and vetoed both times by the Governor with the help of the for-profit health insurance industry.
     Ninety-five percent of California nurses want single payer to pass. As a 50 year member of the CMA and a member of Physicians for a National Health Program, I have promoted “single payer” since it was first discussed, as do most of my colleagues.
     When I was a young physician, most medical insurance was “not-for-profit” and the patient and I were rarely questioned about the necessity or value of my services. Now, I often have my fees reduced or totally denied. Each insurance company has a different set of rules and they keep changing. A single payer will have one set of rules and one payment schedule.
     More than half of my colleagues and I would prefer a single payer system. There will be one set of rules, one insurer to bill and every patient will be covered.
 
Melvin H Kirschner, MPH, MD, Family Practice.
Dr. Kirschner recently published a book entitled “All Medicines Are Poison!” It discusses the sorry state of this Country’s health system and suggests how it could be repaired. Buy it here.