What do you think about this?

[blissful]

How often do you see this in your practice of pharmacy? Curious to hear your stories, if any...



Below is a young physician by the name of Dr. Starner Jones. His short two-paragraph letter to the White House puts the blame on a "Culture Crisis" instead of a "Health Care Crisis".

Dear Mr. President:
During my shift in the Emergency Room last night, I had the pleasure of evaluating a patient whose smile revealed an expensive shiny gold tooth, whose body was adorned with a wide assortment of elaborate and costly tattoos, who wore a very expensive brand of tennis shoes and who chatted on a new cellular telephone equipped with a popular R&B ringtone.


While glancing over her patient chart, I happened to notice that her payer status was listed as "Medicaid"! During my examination of her, the patient informed me that she smokes more than one costly pack of cigarettes every day and somehow still has money to buy pretzels and beer.



And, you and our Congress expect me to pay for this woman's health care? I contend that our nation's "health care crisis" is not the result of a shortage of quality hospitals, doctors or nurses. Rather, it is the result of a "crisis of culture", a culture in which it is perfectly acceptable to spend money on luxuries and vices while refusing to take care of one's self or, heaven forbid, purchase health insurance. It is a culture based in the irresponsible credo that "I can do whatever I want to because someone else will always take care of me".



Once you fix this "culture crisis" that rewards irresponsibility and dependency, you'll be amazed at how quickly our nation's health care difficulties will disappear.



Respectfully,
STARNER JONES, MD

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[phathead]

Probably the one that sticks out most in my mind is a few years back a woman brought her two kids in as they had some sort of infection. Both kids were getting a prescription for Ceftin and, since they were on Medicaid, the co-pay was only $1 each.

She made a big stink saying she couldn't afford the copay... and promptly walked up front and bought six packs of Newports before she left.

The pharmacist on duty called her worker the next day and reported her for negligence, although I never did find out what happened after that.

So short answers, I see that type of crap every day and it bothers the hell outta me. In no way should someone on medicaid have nicer clothes, phone, car, etc than someone who is working for a living.

 

[spacecowgirl]

Yes, there are "lazy, disgusting, fat smokers" on Medicaid. There are handicapped children on Medicaid. There are old people in nursing homes who get aggressive treatments on Medicaid.

What are you going to do about it besides complain?

This doesn't explain why it cost me $800 for an office visit with an ENT. The cost of administering health care is ridiculous and unsustainable. That is a separate argument from your Marlboro Medicaid person.

 

[diastole]

How often do you see this in your practice of pharmacy? Curious to hear your stories, if any...



Below is a young physician by the name of Dr. Starner Jones. His short two-paragraph letter to the White House puts the blame on a "Culture Crisis" instead of a "Health Care Crisis".

Dear Mr. President:
During my shift in the Emergency Room last night, I had the pleasure of evaluating a patient whose smile revealed an expensive shiny gold tooth, whose body was adorned with a wide assortment of elaborate and costly tattoos, who wore a very expensive brand of tennis shoes and who chatted on a new cellular telephone equipped with a popular R&B ringtone.


While glancing over her patient chart, I happened to notice that her payer status was listed as "Medicaid"! During my examination of her, the patient informed me that she smokes more than one costly pack of cigarettes every day and somehow still has money to buy pretzels and beer.



And, you and our Congress expect me to pay for this woman's health care? I contend that our nation's "health care crisis" is not the result of a shortage of quality hospitals, doctors or nurses. Rather, it is the result of a "crisis of culture", a culture in which it is perfectly acceptable to spend money on luxuries and vices while refusing to take care of one's self or, heaven forbid, purchase health insurance. It is a culture based in the irresponsible credo that "I can do whatever I want to because someone else will always take care of me".



Once you fix this "culture crisis" that rewards irresponsibility and dependency, you'll be amazed at how quickly our nation's health care difficulties will disappear.



Respectfully,
STARNER JONES, MD

I don't think this guy is correct. People aren't engaging in less than healthy behaviors because they think that someone else will take care of them. They are behaving in less than healthy behaviors because that is what people do. As an example, I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in a developing nation and I lived in a community with subsistence farmers. There was no health insurance and access to health care was pretty limited. If people got sick and couldn't afford the doctor then they just died. And guess what? I saw lots of excessive drinking, alcoholism, smoking, and obesity. The people didn't engage in healthier behaviors because there was no safety net. They just accepted their situation as their reality.

I suspect that you'll find the same thing here. People like my brother argue that people on Medicaid don't take care of their health because there are no consequences if they don't. It seems to me that sickness, pain, hospitalization, and early death are very real consequences but even those aren't enough to change behavior. You can cut people off of health care and it will end the dependency but it won't end the irresponsibility. You'll just end up with more people dying because they won't have access to care.

 

[type b pharmD]

I think people need to take care of each other without regard to the choices they are making in life.

 

[rxlea]

People engage in those behaviors because there are bigger psychological issues at work. You think alcoholism and addiction to nicotine or other drugs is simply what people do? People also overeat for various reasons. There needs to be more personal responsibility and accountability. Yes, there are disalbed and elderly people who need access to healthcare- understandable. But, there is also a large contingent of people who take advantage of a broken system. And before you say "That's not true! Most people really need it!", I suggest you work in retail for awhile Furthermore, a safety net will only condone the lack of personal repsponsibility further. We need to focus on the hard working, tax paying Americans who fall through the cracks.

 

[Carboxide]

People engage in those behaviors because there are bigger psychological issues at work. You think alcoholism and addiction to nicotine or other drugs is simply what people do? People also overeat for various reasons. There needs to be more personal responsibility and accountability. Yes, there are disalbed and elderly people who need access to healthcare- understandable. But, there is also a large contingent of people who take advantage of a broken system. And before you say "That's not true! Most people really need it!", I suggest you work in retail for awhile Furthermore, a safety net will only condone the lack of personal repsponsibility further. We need to focus on the hard working, tax paying Americans who fall through the cracks.

You DO realize that your personal experiences don't account for fact, right?

 

[joetrisman]

You DO realize that your personal experiences don't account for fact, right?

You DO realize that facts are derived from multiple personal experiences, right?

 

[PharmDstudent]

I'm rotating at a clinic with Medicaid patients, and they dislike going to the doctor as much as everyone else. And it's not like we're giving away trips to exotic destinations or anything- just the usual uncomfortable blood pressure readings, nasty tasting antibiotics, needle sticks, etc.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Y'all pampered ass suburban kids with no hard life experience need to STFU.

Signed,

Born poor hilljack that would be dead if not for medicaid.


-----

This welfare queen bull**** was all the rage back in the 80s. It's nice to see that the plutocrats are pulling that one out again.

 

[Jetninjin]

This welfare queen bull**** was all the rage back in the 80s. It's nice to see that the plutocrats are pulling that one out again.

My cousin had a girlfriend who got pregnant. Both families are low-income but make ends meet and live in an area with high unemployment. As soon as she had the baby, she got on Medicaid, got WIC benefits, food stamps and a newly built apartment that costs her $38/month. Plus extra money to stay in school (not clear on the source of funding for this last one though). All this despite the fact that both her parents and his parents were willing to have the couple live with them and support the baby as best they could.

Nope, she wanted "her own space" lol. Course she's not exactly paying for it, but she's living pretty well all things considered.

... best part about this is that my cousin ended up not being the baby-daddy She'd been sleeping around trying to get knocked up by someone with a good job. She tried to pass the kid off as his since he had a steady (although low) income, but his parents paid for a paternity test which told otherwise.

You don't have to be a plutocrat to realize that some people are scum of the earth and not only contribute nothing, but also feel the need to drag everyone into their personal cesspool with them because they really don't care about anyone except themselves.

 

[FAMUPharmD09]

Y'all pampered ass suburban kids with no hard life experience need to STFU.

Signed,

Born poor hilljack that would be dead if not for medicaid.


-----

This welfare queen bull**** was all the rage back in the 80s. It's nice to see that the plutocrats are pulling that one out again.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

You don't have to be a plutocrat to realize that some people are scum of the earth and not only contribute nothing, but also feel the need to drag everyone into their personal cesspool with them because they really don't care about anyone except themselves.

Those people are *******s. And judging the entire lower economic class as wholly useless people that should be stripped of their dignity and humanity due to the actions of a few idiots makes you an even bigger *******.

 

[PharmDstudent]

I'm more disappointed with the elderly who complain about Medicare part D copays; they've had plenty of time to prepare for retirement...

 

[rphello]

Some people need help. You can't separate those milking the system from those who need help. It can't be done. Some milkers will game the system. It doesn't ****ing matter. Most of the people who are getting help need it. Please quit bitching about petty ****.

 

[pinkpillowzz]

The cost of administering health care is ridiculous and unsustainable.

The cost of administering health care is not ridiculous. You have physicians, pharmacists, nurses, and other health care professionals going through years and years of schooling to help other people. They need to be compensated for their efforts. After all, if they don't do it, who is?

What's f'd up is people with iPhones on medicaid.

 

[Jetninjin]

Those people are *******s. And judging the entire lower economic class as wholly useless people that should be stripped of their dignity and humanity due to the actions of a few idiots makes you an even bigger *******.

I never said that. I only said that you don't need to be a plutocrat to believe in welfare queens.

Some people want to eek by and are perfectly content eeking by on the dime of others. You're not an eek-out kind of guy. Maybe you started out on the same economic rung as eekers (so did I, btw, which is why I hate laziness so much), but we both had the fire to get out of that situation. Lots of people don't have that.

Bill Clinton started off there too, and it was he who signed the biggest welfare reform bill in history.

 

[Pharmavixen]

No, the OP is completely correct: free healthcare means that people abdicate personal responsibility for their health. In countries where there's free healthcare, people compulsively drink too much, use illicit drugs, and overeat, getting massively fat. The rampant rates of obesity result in epidemic rates of type II DM, driving up healthcare costs even further for everybody.

 

[rxlea]

The cost of administering health care is not ridiculous. You have physicians, pharmacists, nurses, and other health care professionals going through years and years of schooling to help other people. They need to be compensated for their efforts. After all, if they don't do it, who is?

What's f'd up is people with iPhones on medicaid.

...Or driving through the Rx drive thru in an Escalade and refusing to pay a 1 dollar copay for their child's cough medicine. No doubt some people need it. But there sure are a lot of capable people that would rather sell their percocet than get a job.

 

[All4MyDaughter]

Some people need help. You can't separate those milking the system from those who need help. It can't be done. Some milkers will game the system. It doesn't ****ing matter. Most of the people who are getting help need it. Please quit bitching about petty ****.

I'm tired of reading these class warfare BS threads ragging on the poor. People don't know what they are talking about. Yes, there are people who abuse the system but the majority don't. And many ADULTS who make bad choices have children who don't deserve to suffer for their parents' stupidity. Plus, we shouldn't judge other peoples' situations because we don't know whats going on with them.

Case in point: I used to work retail and there was a woman who drove a very nice, very large SUV and had several children on Medicaid. The techs in this pharmacy were VERY nasty about this and were SURE she was milking the system (they sounded EXACTLY like the people in this thread). Come to find out that this woman had adopted a family of 5 children from the state, 3 of whom had special medical needs. To encourage this type of adoption the state provides medical care for special needs adoptions until the children reach adulthood. Otherwise, these kids would have been split up, in foster care or in a group home. So, this woman, who the KNOW IT ALLS were POSITIVE was wasting THEIR tax dollars, was actually SAVING the government money by caring for, feeding, clothing and raising 5 children who would have been wards of the state otherwise. Take home message - most of the time you just don't know what's really going on with people, so skip the judgment and take care of your patients.

 

[PharmDstudent]

I'm tired of reading these class warfare BS threads ragging on the poor. People don't know what they are talking about. Yes, there are people who abuse the system but the majority don't. And many ADULTS who make bad choices have children who don't deserve to suffer for their parents' stupidity. Plus, we shouldn't judge other peoples' situations because we don't know whats going on with them.

Case in point: I used to work retail and there was a woman who drove a very nice, very large SUV and had several children on Medicaid. The techs in this pharmacy were VERY nasty about this and were SURE she was milking the system (they sounded EXACTLY like the people in this thread). Come to find out that this woman had adopted a family of 5 children from the state, 3 of whom had special medical needs. To encourage this type of adoption the state provides medical care for special needs adoptions until the children reach adulthood. Otherwise, these kids would have been split up, in foster care or in a group home. So, this woman, who the KNOW IT ALLS were POSITIVE was wasting THEIR tax dollars, was actually SAVING the government money by caring for, feeding, clothing and raising 5 children who would have been wards of the state otherwise. Take home message - most of the time you just don't know what's really going on with people, so skip the judgment and take care of your patients.

So what if she enjoys raising the children like it's a hobby? If so, then she's using public aid to finance her pleasure... just sayin'...

 

[rxlea]

I'm tired of reading these class warfare BS threads ragging on the poor. People don't know what they are talking about. Yes, there are people who abuse the system but the majority don't. And many ADULTS who make bad choices have children who don't deserve to suffer for their parents' stupidity. Plus, we shouldn't judge other peoples' situations because we don't know whats going on with them.

Case in point: I used to work retail and there was a woman who drove a very nice, very large SUV and had several children on Medicaid. The techs in this pharmacy were VERY nasty about this and were SURE she was milking the system (they sounded EXACTLY like the people in this thread). Come to find out that this woman had adopted a family of 5 children from the state, 3 of whom had special medical needs. To encourage this type of adoption the state provides medical care for special needs adoptions until the children reach adulthood. Otherwise, these kids would have been split up, in foster care or in a group home. So, this woman, who the KNOW IT ALLS were POSITIVE was wasting THEIR tax dollars, was actually SAVING the government money by caring for, feeding, clothing and raising 5 children who would have been wards of the state otherwise. Take home message - most of the time you just don't know what's really going on with people, so skip the judgment and take care of your patients.

You make an excellent point- we DON'T know what it going on with people's lives. In the case of the technicians you worked with, nobody should treat their patients (or anyone!) in that manner regardless of their situation. However, we cannot pretend that this stuff doesn't happen (people milking the system). You cannot pretend that the sense of entitlement and lack of personal responsibility is a drain on a system that is barely making it anyway. We can only hope that we can financially support those who truly need it. Financial need is maybe most evident in an economy like this where jobs are scarce, especially in rural areas. The issue I am concerned with is the working class people (or even middle class people) who slip through the cracks; who make JUST enough money to NOT be covered by medicaid but DON'T make enough to pay their outrageous medical bills.

 

[All4MyDaughter]

You make an excellent point- we DON'T know what it going on with people's lives. In the case of the technicians you worked with, nobody should treat their patients (or anyone!) in that manner regardless of their situation. However, we cannot pretend that this stuff doesn't happen (people milking the system). You cannot pretend that the sense of entitlement and lack of personal responsibility is a drain on a system that is barely making it anyway. We can only hope that we can financially support those who truly need it. Financial need is maybe most evident in an economy like this where jobs are scarce, especially in rural areas. The issue I am concerned with is the working class people (or even middle class people) who slip through the cracks; who make JUST enough money to NOT be covered by medicaid but DON'T make enough to pay their outrageous medical bills.

They weren't nasty to her face and didn't treat her poorly. They just talked trash about her behind her back. Just like the people in this thread are talking trash about patients and being judgmental. I think its elitist and unbecoming. Do you have any data about how much of a drain on the system these folks are? What % of Medicaid expenditures are going toward those who "abuse the system?" And what solution would you propose to correct this problem?

 

[All4MyDaughter]

So what if she enjoys raising the children like it's a hobby? If so, then she's using public aid to finance her pleasure... just sayin'...

She's got to enjoy it or see it as a calling. Otherwise, why do it? Years ago, I had a co-worker who had adopted six (non-sibling) special needs and/or older children from the state. They got some financial support from the state, but the cost of raising the children FAR outpaced what they received in public dollars. For her, it was a calling, like some people feel called to become ministers or missionaries.

 

[rxlea]

They weren't nasty to her face and didn't treat her poorly. They just talked trash about her behind her back. Just like the people in this thread are talking trash about patients and being judgmental. I think its elitist and unbecoming. Do you have any data about how much of a drain on the system these folks are? What % of Medicaid expenditures are going toward those who "abuse the system?" And what solution would you propose to correct this problem?

No. As someone said up there, you cannot differentiate between the two. Not sure what the solution is, but the problem probably occurs with the process at DES; determining who is eligible and who is not. We have a number of immigrants who manage to get on DES here, but many working families who do not qualify because they aren't "poor" enough. I am not trying to be offensive and I certainly apologize for coming off that way. I am extremely cynical about the system as is and this has to do with my own experiences working in pharmacy. So, yes, I admit to my own bias/judgement. I can admit to my own fault. I can only hope with healthcare reform that things will change and the people who need help, get it.

 

[phathead]

I'm tired of reading these class warfare BS threads ragging on the poor. People don't know what they are talking about. Yes, there are people who abuse the system but the majority don't. And many ADULTS who make bad choices have children who don't deserve to suffer for their parents' stupidity. Plus, we shouldn't judge other peoples' situations because we don't know whats going on with them.

Case in point: I used to work retail and there was a woman who drove a very nice, very large SUV and had several children on Medicaid. The techs in this pharmacy were VERY nasty about this and were SURE she was milking the system (they sounded EXACTLY like the people in this thread). Come to find out that this woman had adopted a family of 5 children from the state, 3 of whom had special medical needs. To encourage this type of adoption the state provides medical care for special needs adoptions until the children reach adulthood. Otherwise, these kids would have been split up, in foster care or in a group home. So, this woman, who the KNOW IT ALLS were POSITIVE was wasting THEIR tax dollars, was actually SAVING the government money by caring for, feeding, clothing and raising 5 children who would have been wards of the state otherwise. Take home message - most of the time you just don't know what's really going on with people, so skip the judgment and take care of your patients.

What about the woman who pulls up in her Escalade with rims, bumpin' to some good awful rap, 5 kids screaming in the back (all with different daddies because they all have different last names) and she can't get off her blinged out bluetooth headset/iPhone long enough for me to get her to sign the insurance log?

Yes, you can't draw conclusions about everyone, but there are certain cases when it is warranted.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

What about the woman who pulls up in her Escalade with rims, bumpin' to some good awful rap, 5 kids screaming in the back (all with different daddies because they all have different last names) and she can't get off her blinged out bluetooth headset/iPhone long enough for me to get her to sign the insurance log?

Yes, you can't draw conclusions about everyone, but there are certain cases when it is warranted.

Maybe she's looking after wards of the state....hence they all have different last names.

Or maybe she's a drug dealer's girlfriend (probably).

Sure, whine about that all you want. But to imply that there is some sort of "culture of laziness" that is destroying the healthcare system is just stupid. If the OP was strictly about the isolated instances of abuse...that's one thing...but it is a poorly reasoned indictment of the system...

 

[spacecowgirl]

But, there is also a large contingent of people who take advantage of a broken system.

What is the % of people on Medicaid that fall into this group you speak of?

And before you say "That's not true! Most people really need it!", I suggest you work in retail for awhile Furthermore, a safety net will only condone the lack of personal repsponsibility further. We need to focus on the hard working, tax paying Americans who fall through the cracks.

really? how long have YOU worked as a PHARMACIST in retail?

 

[spacecowgirl]

No, the OP is completely correct: free healthcare means that people abdicate personal responsibility for their health. In countries where there's free healthcare, people compulsively drink too much, use illicit drugs, and overeat, getting massively fat. The rampant rates of obesity result in epidemic rates of type II DM, driving up healthcare costs even further for everybody.

Exactly. That's why all those systems with (the horror) universal healthcare are so much fatter and unhealthier than us. Especially those fattie Canadians.

 

[rxlea]

What is the % of people on Medicaid that fall into this group you speak of?

really? how long have YOU worked as a PHARMACIST in retail?

Nobody has to be a pharmacist to see it happen. In fact, the pharmacists I have worked with over the years often complained of it themselves. But, I have already addressed your 1st question in a prior post. No need to get NASTY with your CAPITALS.

 

[spacecowgirl]

The cost of administering health care is not ridiculous. You have physicians, pharmacists, nurses, and other health care professionals going through years and years of schooling to help other people. They need to be compensated for their efforts. After all, if they don't do it, who is? .

We probably wouldn't have to charge 10-100x the cost of a med in the hospital if we weren't paying for people to bill insurance and take care of those claim rejections, malpractice insurance (indirectly through physician compensation), people whose job it is to ensure compliance with insurance documentation, adding some extra $ to cover nonpayment by uninsured, etc, etc, ad naseum.

Sure, whine about that all you want. But to imply that there is some sort of "culture of laziness" that is destroying the healthcare system is just stupid. If the OP was strictly about the isolated instances of abuse...that's one thing...but it is a poorly reasoned indictment of the system...

Of course system abuse exists. I don't like it, no one likes it. That does not mean the system itself is irrevocably broken.

 

[spacecowgirl]

Nobody has to be a pharmacist to see it happen. In fact, the pharmacists I have worked with over the years often complained of it themselves. But, I have already addressed your 1st question in a prior post. No need to get NASTY with your CAPITALS.

Touchy much?

I don't like when people imply that one has formed an opinion simply because one lacks the experience to think otherwise.

 

[spacecowgirl]

She's got to enjoy it or see it as a calling. Otherwise, why do it? Years ago, I had a co-worker who had adopted six (non-sibling) special needs and/or older children from the state. They got some financial support from the state, but the cost of raising the children FAR outpaced what they received in public dollars. For her, it was a calling, like some people feel called to become ministers or missionaries.

I have seen this as well. On one of my rotations, in fact. If anyone thinks that these adoptive parents receive enough money to cover costs, let alone make some sort of profit, they are smoking the crack sold by the Medicaid patient in the Escalade. The only thing that kept me from being utterly depressed by hearing the horrible stories of these kids in the foster system was seeing the love and unselfishness exhibited by the foster/adoptive parents. Truly amazing.

 

[rxlea]

Touchy much?

I don't like when people imply that one has formed an opinion simply because one lacks the experience to think otherwise.

Not touchy at all. Your post seemed a bit argumentative. And as I said before, you don't have to be the PIC to see this stuff happen. Techs, interns, and pharmacists see it alike. I have had enough experience working in pharmacy to see enough of it and also to see enough people be forced to make the choice between their medications and paying their rent. And yes, there are always exceptions like the adoptive parent. If the system isn't broken, then why is our government trying to fix it?

 

[Pharmavixen]

Exactly. That's why all those systems with (the horror) universal healthcare are so much fatter and unhealthier than us. Especially those fattie Canadians.

Precisely

Truth is, there are scammers everywhere, at every level of society, taking advantage of loopholes wherever they can be found. By the logic of the people on this thread, capitalism needs to be disbanded, its boards of directors jailed, their wealth distributed to the people, because of all the corporate fraud that took place in the past few years that helped wreck the world's economy.

After all, if there are crooks gaming the system, the system is broken. Right??

In comparison, the drug dealers' baby moms on welfare are pikers.

 

[phathead]

Maybe she's looking after wards of the state....hence they all have different last names.

Or maybe she's a drug dealer's girlfriend (probably).

Sure, whine about that all you want. But to imply that there is some sort of "culture of laziness" that is destroying the healthcare system is just stupid. If the OP was strictly about the isolated instances of abuse...that's one thing...but it is a poorly reasoned indictment of the system...

You work at a store for six years, you learn a lot about people and what I told you is the truth. They're not wards of the states, but I wouldn't be surprised if she was tappin' some dealer out of the city.

I do not think it has anything to do with a culture of laziness. The only reason we notice it is because of the few who abuse the system. If you look at the grand scheme of things, how many medicaid patients come in and out of your pharmacy that you DON'T notice. My guess would be, it's a lot.

We just naturally highlight the ones that bother us and, thus, have a tendency to make a generalized deduction.

 

[Pharmacy Kid]

Probably the one that sticks out most in my mind is a few years back a woman brought her two kids in as they had some sort of infection. Both kids were getting a prescription for Ceftin and, since they were on Medicaid, the co-pay was only $1 each.

She made a big stink saying she couldn't afford the copay... and promptly walked up front and bought six packs of Newports before she left.

She should've gone to school, she could've learned a trade
But she laid in bed where the bums have laid
Now all the time she's crying that she's underpaid
It's like that (what?) and that's the way it is
Huh!

People in the world try to make ends meet
You try to ride car, train, bus, or feet
I said you got to work hard to want to compete
It's like that, and that's the way it is
Huh!

 

[Ackj]

I think people need to take care of each other without regard to the choices they are making in life.

People really need to take care of themselves, as hard as it may be. A lot of it does have to do with culture. People are so rushed for time (or again, lazy) that we'll eat fast food all week rather than spend an hour to cook something healthy (and God forbid another 20 minutes for dishes ). We've all seen the problems with the "I can't pay the copay" and getting smokes instead... again it comes down to smoking, despite all of the PSA attempts, is a popular thing to do. The same goes again for alcohol use, its culturally promoted. You know when somebody tells you "I don't drink" that you think "wow, that's strange."
We have an extremely unhealthy culture, and no healthcare reform, tort reform, oil drilling in alaska, aid to foreign nations, or anything else is going to be able to change that.

But hey, how can we really complain? If 30% of the population didnt have HTN, and 8% werent diabetic, imagine how low the demand for pharmacists would be.

 

[Sugadarlin]

This letter is terrible, "culture crisis", what the hell is that supposed to mean? There are so many racist implications in this it's disgusting and offensive. So many assumptions being made and grouping people into categories, ugh! I will be back when I can actually articulate...

 

[Pharmacy Kid]

This letter is terrible, "culture crisis", what the hell is that supposed to mean? There are so many racist implications in this it's disgusting and offensive. So many assumptions being made and grouping people into categories, ugh! I will be back when I can actually articulate...

Interesting . . . I don't recall her race in the original post.

 

[Pharmacy Kid]

This letter is terrible, "culture crisis", what the hell is that supposed to mean? There are so many racist implications in this it's disgusting and offensive. So many assumptions being made and grouping people into categories, ugh! I will be back when I can actually articulate...

Here's another point in life you should not miss
Do not be a fool who's prejudice
Because we're all written down on the same list
It's like that (what?) and that's the way it is
Huh!

You know it's like that, and that's the way it is
Because it's like that, and that's the way it is

 

[Sparda29]

 

[spacecowgirl]

Not touchy at all. Your post seemed a bit argumentative. And as I said before, you don't have to be the PIC to see this stuff happen. Techs, interns, and pharmacists see it alike. I have had enough experience working in pharmacy to see enough of it and also to see enough people be forced to make the choice between their medications and paying their rent. And yes, there are always exceptions like the adoptive parent. If the system isn't broken, then why is our government trying to fix it?

Like I said, I don't like when it is implied that a person's opinion is based on lack of experience. I have worked in retail for a long time so my opinion is not based on lack of knowledge; that's what grated on me about your previous statement. You're right, you don't need to be the pharmacist to see Medicaid fraud.

And I think you quite contradict yourself in that the system IS broken, don't you think?

 

[spacecowgirl]

Precisely

Truth is, there are scammers everywhere, at every level of society, taking advantage of loopholes wherever they can be found. By the logic of the people on this thread, capitalism needs to be disbanded, its boards of directors jailed, their wealth distributed to the people, because of all the corporate fraud that took place in the past few years that helped wreck the world's economy.

After all, if there are crooks gaming the system, the system is broken. Right??

In comparison, the drug dealers' baby moms on welfare are pikers.

Of course I think personal responsibility is great; most thinking people do. The welfare system is supposed to be for people who cannot help themselves - the sick, the young, the mentally ill, etc. Inevitably there will be people who abuse this and while I think that totally sucks, I'm not going to demonize the entire system because some people abuse it. I'm all for stricter control over the welfare system so long as those who truly cannot help themselves are not punished in the process.

 

[Pharmavixen]

Maybe because most of the people around here are young, they're forgetting that being healthy is its own reward, transcending financial rewards/punishments.

If you're 50 y.o. and a blind amputee on dialysis because you didn't look after your DM II, chances are it's going to suck worse for an American than a Canadian because you're going to be bankrupt on top of it. But being sick and disabled in a country with universal healthcare doesn't mean you have a fabulous life because you don't have to worry about your medical bills.

In the jail, we deal with epic non-compliance, drug and EtOH abuse aside (though definitely important and contributing comorbidities). A typical client is a guy I've seen a lot of lately; he's in his mid-40s, a massively obese drug dealer who is too busy selling crack when he's on the street to look after his DM II. His feet are getting smaller - every time he comes in, his BG is in the low 20s (mmol/L; about 400 mg/dL) and he'll have a nasty foot infection. We ship him off to the hospital to get surgically managed, and he comes back missing more flesh. I expect some time in the next 6 mos, he'll lose his feet altogether.

For folks concerned about the bottom line, guys like this don't live long. These people cease to be a burden to our universal health care system by their late 40s-early 50s. So it all evens out.

 

[rxlea]

Like I said, I don't like when it is implied that a person's opinion is based on lack of experience. I have worked in retail for a long time so my opinion is not based on lack of knowledge; that's what grated on me about your previous statement. You're right, you don't need to be the pharmacist to see Medicaid fraud.

And I think you quite contradict yourself in that the system IS broken, don't you think?

What do you mean? I am pointing out that our government is attempting to fix our healthcare system (which includes medicaid and medicare). If our government thought everything was just fine and dandy, why would they be spending billions of taxpayer dollars for a major overhaul?

EDIT: I don't know how long you have worked as a pharmacist in retail and no doubt youhave the experience to form an informed opinion, but I have worked as a tech for sometime, in retail, mail order, and hospital so my opinion is also not based on lack of experience. Just because I am not a pharmacy student until the Fall doesn't mean I haven't seen these things first hand.

 

[spacecowgirl]

What do you mean? I am pointing out that our government is attempting to fix our healthcare system (which includes medicaid and medicare). If our government thought everything was just fine and dandy, why would they be spending billions of taxpayer dollars for a major overhaul?

I interpreted your post to say "the system isn't broken, so why are we messing with it?". Maybe I misunderstood your intent

 

[rxlea]

I interpreted your post to say "the system isn't broken, so why are we messing with it?". Maybe I misunderstood your intent

No worries Glad to know we are on the same page.

 

[MustLoveDrugs]

I'm more disappointed with the elderly who complain about Medicare part D copays; they've had plenty of time to prepare for retirement...

Wow. Hope you're going into peds.

 

[Sugadarlin]

Interesting . . . I don't recall her race in the original post.

Just because it doesn't mention race does NOT mean the implications are not there. And maybe I should have said predjudice instead of racist. It may not have been intentional but like I said the implications are most definitely there.