The genius of Henry Ford was in his perfection of mass production. Ford’s assembly lines produced oodles of Model T, with economies of scale so that the cost of each car fell to the point that even those working in those lines could afford them. …
Category: Meds
The effects of the nationwide stimulant shortage on a private psychiatry practice
I have a solo outpatient private practice focusing on psychiatric medication management and brief therapy for adults. Early on, I decided to accept insurance to help address the shortage of psychiatrists in this country. Because of the advances in tele…
Why North American medical cannabis can’t compete globally
The United States and Canada started a movement that began as medical cannabis and quickly exploded into adult-use cannabis markets. However, the North American operators failed to properly regulate the processes from growing to manufacturing to compet…
How were we duped and what can we do about the opioid overdose crisis?
Who among us as physicians and prescribers, not to mention the millions of families who have been affected and suffered deep personal loss due to the current crisis and record overdose deaths, regardless of whether the opioid was legally written or ill…
Caught in the middle: How health insurance companies influence cancer drug selection
Patients may find themselves caught in the middle between their health insurance company and their oncologist when it comes to selecting the drugs used to treat their cancer. Why is this? The American Cancer Society explains biologic drugs (derived fro…
Timely treatment decisions: the promise of surrogate markers
Driving around, searching for children’s Tylenol and a pharmacy that had the antibiotics my son needed, was not how I wanted to spend the holidays. I am not alone – shelves are bare, and antibiotics are in short supply as we head into the n…
The promise of patient-centered biotechnology
An excerpt from Inside The Orphan Drug Revolution: The Promise of Patient-Centered Biotechnology. Pre-revolutionary stirrings Every revolution rises up against an order in need of reform. For the orphan drug revolution, that order was the pharmaceutica…
The promises and limits of a fentanyl vaccine
“Fentanyl Vaccine a Potential ‘Game Changer’ for Opioid Crisis,” declares a Medscape headline. “Fentanyl Vaccine Delivers Promising Results in Trial,” reports an industry website. “A Vaccine Against Deadly Fent…
A rush to judgment on acetaminophen?
Less than a year ago, a position paper/meta-analysis was published whose authors concluded that the pain reliever acetaminophen, and products containing this compound, were contraindicated in pregnancy as they could result in premature or stillborn bir…
Prudence and promise in psychedelic-assisted therapy
Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) represents one of the most promising developments in psychiatry in decades. The treatment typically involves the infusion of a compound such as LSD, psilocybin, or MDMA during an extended therapy session with licensed…
