JUNK MEDICINE Monday 29th March 2010

We've got this huge debate about the funding of hospital care.

It's generally the case that the cause of the problem is not at the site of the problem.

In this case, the protection of the grass roots branch of the medical industry has created a demand for public money that is insatiable. If they were doing a half decent job hospitals would be empty.

It is poor general practice that has people end up in the hospital. If you give people drugs to mask symptoms, eventually the underlying condition gets so bad people need surgery.

You definitely don't need more doctors in this country.

Nurses can do 20% of the work
Fitness practitioners can do 20% or more of the work
Counsellors can do 20% of the work
Naturopaths can do another 20% of the work.

Encouraging people to go to the doctor as the first point of primary care is just plain nonsense. It's an outdated, expensive and ineffective practice. It is not best care. It's like sending people to David Jones when all they want is a bag of chips.

The GP primary care monopoly is not working. The effect is more and more people turning up at hospitals with dysfunctions made worse by the wrong treatment prescribed by general practitioners.

There are many providers of primary care. The current monopoly protection of the Medical industry has downplayed the role these other providers have the primary care of various complaints.

Doctors have abused the privilege of being the first point of primary care. It's an outdated notion.

If you've got a crook back go to you local gym.

If you feel shidouse go to a counsellor - and the gym

If you've got a baby with a sniffle, if you've got the flu and need a certificate, if you need blood drawn for pathology, if you need a jab, a stitch or a bandage, go to a nurse in private practice.

Case in point. The Minister for Health is telling people to go to their doctor for a flu injection. Why is the precious time of doctors being take up by jabbing people in the arm? This is nurses' work.

Pharmacists should be having a greater say in what's prescribed. How stupid is it for doctors to prescribe a drug when they don't know as much about drugs as chemists. Chemists should have a lot more say in the prescription of medicine and the issuing of repeats.

Chemists should be playing a greater role in stamping out doctor shopping for addictive drugs. They stand idly by when they know doctors are mis-prescribing and over-prescribing.

DEMARCATION DISPUTES
The medical industry is holding the community to ransom with demarcation disputes that put those in other industries to shame.

For instance a radiologist can't diagnose the cause of a crook back. That's the doctor's job.

Doctors won't refer people to nurses, fitness practitioners, counsellors or naturopaths.

Doctors won't keep a few basic drugs in the surgery to dole out to their customers.

On the track
Out with the boys for the walk/run.

In the meantime stay tuned, highly tuned and go for a run around the block.

John Miller
http://www.fitandhealthyonline.com/
http://www.globalbackcare.com/