Immigration and the Physician Workforce
In 1965, Congress passed the bill that created Medicare. It was implemented in 1966, and suddenly 20 million previously medically uninsured seniors had access to health care. The need for a larger physician workforce was obvious, and in an uncharacteristically timely fashion, Congress, for the first time, created a route for physicians who were graduates…
Direct to the Consumer Advertising for Pharmceuticals
Prevagen is an over-the-counter supplement that purports to preserve, and even improve brain function. As I was recently subjected to yet another slick ad for this drug, I wondered about the role of direct-to-the-consumer advertising (DTCA). Background The federal government started to regulate drugs in 1906, and the current responsible agency is the US Food…
High Blood Pressure Screed
It is time for an installment of my recurring screed about the detection and treatment of high blood pressure in the United States. The spark for this piece is the recently publicized new guidelines for treatment of this important, but largely silent, medical problem. Hypertension, the medical term for high blood pressure, characterizes the excess…