States Say Some Doctors Stockpile Trial Coronavirus Drugs, for Themselves

[BUTCH1]

Wow, so much for the oath a Dr is supposed to take,
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/24/...tion=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article

 

[imported_tajmahal]

How can you say that the noble Doctors and health care workers aren't the perfect Saints we all know they are? What a horrible person! /s

Doctors Are Hoarding Unproven Coronavirus Medicine by Writing Prescriptions for Themselves and Their Families

Pharmacists told ProPublica that they are seeing unusual and fraudulent prescribing activity as doctors stockpile unproven coronavirus drugs endorsed by President Donald Trump.

www.propublica.org

Study Suggests Medical Errors Now Third Leading Cause of Death in the U.S. - 05/03/2016

Analyzing medical death rate data over an eight-year period, Johns Hopkins patient safety experts have calculated that more than 250,000 deaths per year are due to medical error in the U.S. Their figure, published May 3 in The BMJ , surpasses the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and...

www.hopkinsmedicine.org

 

[interchange]

Yeah that's a problem. I imagine it would be much harder to resist for someone more on the front line already seeing people die.

 

[TheVrolok]

Huh. Didn't even think of that.

 

[interchange]

How can you say that the noble Doctors and health care workers aren't the perfect Saints we all know they are? What a horrible person! /s

Doctors Are Hoarding Unproven Coronavirus Medicine by Writing Prescriptions for Themselves and Their Families

Pharmacists told ProPublica that they are seeing unusual and fraudulent prescribing activity as doctors stockpile unproven coronavirus drugs endorsed by President Donald Trump.

www.propublica.org

Study Suggests Medical Errors Now Third Leading Cause of Death in the U.S. - 05/03/2016

Analyzing medical death rate data over an eight-year period, Johns Hopkins patient safety experts have calculated that more than 250,000 deaths per year are due to medical error in the U.S. Their figure, published May 3 in The BMJ , surpasses the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and...

www.hopkinsmedicine.org

Doctors are indeed people. Though it's disturbing that it is not isolated cases here, there's no data presented on how common it is. There are a lot of doctors. If 1 in 25 does this, would it be appropriate to malign the profession? Yeah, medical schools should take people of high character. But at what miss rate would you be concerned? It's not like the people who are doing this would say "yes" if you asked them during med school interview: "if there were a global pandemic threatening to kill millions worldwide, would you prescribe for yourself treatments under investigation if you didn't know there would be enough supply for everyone?"

As far as medical errors, it is unlikely to be caused by a doctor's negligence or malice. Most are related to systemic issues, and while a doctor may have had the opportunity to do differently, it's not reasonable to say that is the failsafe.

 

[Paratus]

Huh. Didn't even think of that.

check this one out.

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/tanyachen/kaiser-permanente-lupus-chloroquine

Very strange letter. Don’t ask us for the medicine you require we are saving it for others because it might be effective

 

[TheVrolok]

check this one out.

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/tanyachen/kaiser-permanente-lupus-chloroquine

Very strange letter. Don’t ask us for the medicine you require we are saving it for others because it might be effective

That is really weird. I mean they're not wrong, the half life is insanely long and some rationing might actually make some sense (even for other rheumatologic patients) , but that messaging is horrible.

 

[dawp]

That is really weird. I mean they're not wrong, the half life is insanely long and some rationing might actually make some sense (even for other rheumatologic patients) , but that messaging is horrible.

plus I believe that this med hasn't been proven to be effective in the first place and restricting it for that purpose and not giving it to someone who has a known need for it I think crosses ethical lines.

 

[esquared]

This trial is from China, so I am sure there will be discussion as to why the results showed no difference.

Malaria Drug Chloroquine No Better Than Regular Coronavirus Care, Study Finds

Hydroxychloroquine, a medicine for malaria that President Donald Trump has touted as a treatment for coronavirus, was no more effective than conventional care, a small study found.

www.bloomberg.com

Top COVID-19 aspirants chloroquine, AbbVie's Kaletra and a flu drug disappoint in clinical tests

Malaria drug chloroquine, AbbVie’s HIV combo therapy Kaletra and an influenza med called Arbidol are among top candidates that physicians are repurposing for the treatment of COVID-19. | Malaria drug chloroquine, AbbVie’s HIV combo therapy Kaletra and an influenza med called Arbidol are among...

www.fiercepharma.com

 

[senseamp]

check this one out.

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/tanyachen/kaiser-permanente-lupus-chloroquine

Very strange letter. Don’t ask us for the medicine you require we are saving it for others because it might be effective

Homo homini lupus est.

 

[interchange]

plus I believe that this med hasn't been proven to be effective in the first place and restricting it for that purpose and not giving it to someone who has a known need for it I think crosses ethical lines.

I don't have any current lupus patients and am not a rheumatologist, but the doctor is citing a drug shortage, so I don't read that as his choice to ration the treatment, although I'm sure he has some sway in some staying on it. Ethically, the principle of rationing treatment is definitely supported, but of course when/how to do so is a unique calculus for each situation. Thankfully, there are other effective treatments for lupus, so what's likely is that some patients will have to switch therapeutics temporarily, although certainly there's a risk there of less efficacy and risk of adverse treatment events. Either can be life-threatening, even though most people will be fine. It'll be really tragic for anyone with long-term well-managed lupus that gets a severe flare after changing treatment.

All this said, I think the issue here is not in decision making but messaging. Unfortunately, the lack of empathy displayed in the messaging suggests another problem.

 

[HomerJS]

Having healthcare workers treated first if this turns out viable isn't a bad idea.

If they go down results would even more catastrophic. During the speech on airline flights if cabin pressure is lost you are told to mask yourself first even if you have kids. Doesn't work if parent and child go down.

Not sure if hoarding the way to go