Category: Medications

Drug prices and fast approvals can harm patients

An excerpt from Big Food, Big Pharma, Big Lies. Few fail to be shocked at the rising prices of some prescription drugs. “Drug companies have raised prices relentlessly for decades while manipulating the patent system and other laws to delay compe…

Pain medicine realities: beyond the opioid crisis

In 1990, Ronald Melzack published a paper in Scientific American titled “The Tragedy of Needless Pain.” Many would regard Melzack as the “father” of pain science and the treatment of pain. In that paper, he described the science…

The erosion of compassion in medicine

With my first thrust on his chest, I shattered his sternum, feeling his bones crumble in my hands. His eyes were wide open but lifeless. Dried secretions crusted his lips. His dusky skin tone indicated my efforts would be futile. Nonetheless, I proceed…

A doctor’s thoughts on The Retrievals podcast

I recently listened to the podcast mini-series The Retrievals. It was fascinating and absolutely worth a listen. It’s the story of a Yale infertility clinic where a nurse was stealing fentanyl and replacing it with normal saline. As a result, wom…

Exploring psychedelic therapies [PODCAST]

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! Join Thaís Salles Araujo, an internal medicine resident. Discover the potential benefits, challenges, and the need for greater awareness and education in integrating these therapies into mo…

Codeine cough syrup: a controversial classification

Did you know that promethazine with codeine cough syrup had a high risk of diversion and high risk of addiction? I didn’t. From my experience, this is the only effective prescription cough medicine available. Sure, you can prescribe what is essen…

Navigating medication prescriptions in a DEA-observed world

I sit in my clinic office, looking at today’s schedule. It’s a nice office with lots of white and pastels, modern furniture, an up-to-date computer, and a desk. I always wanted my clinic to look like something from the future, and now, afte…

Psilocybin therapy explained [PODCAST]

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! Join Lynn Marie Morski, a physician, attorney, and president of the Psychedelic Medicine Association. We’ll explore the historical roots of psilocybin, its emerging clinical applicati…

DEA’s criteria for identifying pill mills: a physician’s analysis

Many physicians reading this forum treat pain and addiction and may wonder what criteria the DEA believes to be indicative of a pill mill. The following is from a motion filed in federal court regarding the prosecution of a physician: The government cl…

Learn to be a Narcan hero: a comic tutorial

Discover the ins and outs of nasal Narcan alongside psychiatrist Emily Watters. In this comic tutorial, she’ll walk you through the steps in her signature straightforward style, helping you grasp the essentials and empowering you to be a Narcan h…