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NOTICE ABOUT UNUSED DRUG DISPOSAL
A notice in the S.F. Chronicle, May 11, 2006, indicated that waste treatment plants have requested that folks no longer flush unused medicines down the toilet. For now, officials are asking we put them in the trash.
"Some of the pharmeceuticals are definitely making it through sewage treatment plants," a spokesman for the Bay Area Pollution Prevention Group told the Chronicle. Studies of fish in some waterways have found changes due to pharmaceuticals.
In the future, the Chronicle stated that there will be drop-off programs similar to those for hazardous and electronic waste. So, from now on: DON'T FLUSH YOUR OLD MEDS!
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April/May 2005
ACCESS TO DOCTORS - IMPROVING OR NOT?
Here are some thoughts on doctor/patient access.
DOCTORS AND FROZEN SPINACH?
This morning on my way to work I heard a snippet of a news story on the radio. It seems that, along with pharmacies and optometrists, health clinics are now being set up in supermarkets! For $45 (an approximation) you can be seen by a physician, virtually, on demand! No missed appointments, no extra trips by bus or car. Sound great? It could be!
This may be part of an emerging new trend, including those independent physicians who are beginning to offer “no insurance” or “pay as you go” services. The good news is that these new clinics enable almost everyone to get professional treatment. The really bad news is that too many people may think the clinics can be used for emergencies (especially those in supermarkets) and go there instead of to the hospital. In addition, the supermarket clinics likely will not offer support services such as laboratories, x-rays and other testing devices, which might result in a lab, or hospital clinic follow-up visit and additional fees. Watch here for further developments.
DOCTORS AND THE WEB
If you’re web savvy, you can now get an e-consultation with a physician without leaving your home or office. There are several ways to do this. First, it’s been reported that some doctors with Kaiser Permanente in California are now actively and quickly responding to questions from their patients via e-mail. Online physician-patient communication is fairly new, and some estimates are than fewer than 10% of M.D.’s participate at this level. Nevertheless, particularly with elderly patients who have difficulty running back and forth to the clinic, e-mail provides them a vital tool to follow up with both questions and treatment progress reports. No need to be alarmed about a blinking eye for weeks until you can get an appointment, with email you can know in short order! Ask if your doctors offer email communication. The more we ask, the more service we just might get!
There are also “ask-a-doctor” services popping up on the web almost weekly. (This is different from static web sites like webmd.com or medlineplus.com where you search for specific information and get encyclopedic style answers). Cautions here include: the “ask-a-docs” cannot see you or take simple tests to confirm a specific diagnosis; you cannot always verify that you are actually communicating with a physician; you cannot assume confidentiality or a normal “doctor/patient” relationship. Nevertheless, such services may help you get some initial information prior to visiting your own doctor, get a second opinion, or get answers you couldn’t get because your doctor rushed on to the next patient or you simply forgot. If you are going to an e-consultation site, be sure to check for doctor’s names, qualifications and certifications. These services are in their infancy, so beware and be careful!
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