Pushing drugs for the Man bother anyone?

leslie :-D · Nov 7, 2007

Actually, I hear them say that to pts all the time. Problem is-pts don't want to hear that and they get defensive and angry.

i've always heard docs, teaching/encouraging healthier lifestyles also.

unfortunately, in our quick-fix society, the magical meds are seemingly the easy way out.

if pts aren't willing to implement major lifestyle changes, then meds are the next best solution.

leslie

PedsED-RN · Nov 8, 2007

This has been an interesting thread to read through......

As a nurse, we all obviously respect the power of drugs to help patients, it is a large part of our daily grind. Unfortunately, people today are all about the quick fix, without doing the work-not everyone, but a large percentage are not willing to make changes that could improve their health without adding meds. Thus is our reality.

As far as the "Man", that is a tricky issue for me. Drug development and research costs a lot of money, but I do think that they spend a lot of money saturating the market with their products. (Granted, I am a pen freak too, so I do appreciate that aspect =) ) On that note though, some drugs cost waaaay more than they should.

In school I did a day following a NP in a clinic. That day I was appauled by the significance of the drug reps in that clinic. I kept track all day, 13 reps came through peddling their respective wonder drugs, handing out freebies, and stocking the sample room, and one brought lunch. That wasn't so bad, but when it came time for writing scripts, the NP changed her mind a couple times, saying.."Oh, I like this rep better, I will give him the business." They were also scripts for cough meds and random stuff like that, by no means life-saving, but I was pretty suprised, my naive student self. One thing that clinic was good about though, I think they used those samples to supply some of their patients, as they were in a pretty low-income neighborhood. That was probably the only means those people had to get important meds to maintain their health.

Anyways, enough of my rant, just thought I would share. Interesting comments though everyone. I have enjoyed reading as a new member, great forum!

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Nov 9, 2007

Hello All.
I'm a newbie taking prereqs for a BSN.
I just have one big nagging concern keeping me from fully committing to the program. I want to help people, but I feel that the western allopathic way of surgery/drugs is often very harmful (although sometimes needed in cases of trauma etc).
Does pushing drugs for the giant pharmaceuticals bother anyone out there in the nurse world? I just don't know if I could live with myself doing it all day when I know that many problems could be solved simply by diet change etc.
Please enlighten me!

1 if that is your belief, you are entitled to it. But you are doing yourself a disservice going into nursing. Try degrees in Homeopathy

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Nov 9, 2007

And they bring us free food!

I always hold out for golf balls

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Nov 9, 2007

Suesquatch: I assure you, "The Man" is alive and well, whether or not you've heard it recently. You'd be hearing more about the aforementioned "Man" if there were a draft, for starters. Maybe the term "military industrial complex" doesn't appear in the news these days, but Haliburton and Blackwater are are making a killing on killing as I write this.

Its been changed to the Military and Petroleum Industrial Complex aka MPIC

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Nov 9, 2007

"The man"?
I haven't heard that expression since Woodstock.

Were you there also

I thought that was highlight in my life

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Nov 9, 2007

Suesquatch: I assure you, "The Man" is alive and well, whether or not you've heard it recently. You'd be hearing more about the aforementioned "Man" if there were a draft, for starters. Maybe the term "military industrial complex" doesn't appear in the news these days, but Haliburton and Blackwater are are making a killing on killing as I write this.

And Haliburton and Blackwater manufacture drugs?

You are confusing my disdain for the term and what it implies about nurses and nursing with my political knowledge and leanings. Please don't be so presumptuous.

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Nov 9, 2007

Were you there also
I thought that was highlight in my life

Nah, my mom wouldn't let me go. I was 15 that summer. Pfffft.

:)

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Nov 9, 2007

I spent my formative years in the 60's, so I'm a true believer in better living through pharmacology.
JK, of course.
I grew up in the 50s also
a great time back then, a lot of positive changes sweeping the nation
"Better living through modern Pharmacology"
"Better Living through modern chemistry"
Unlike Bill, When I inhaled, I enjoyed it.
NK of course:balloons:

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Nov 9, 2007

When I inhaled I got paranoid.

Diahni · Nov 9, 2007

1 if that is your belief, you are entitled to it. But you are doing yourself a disservice going into nursing. Try degrees in Homeopathy

Everybody,

Interesting thread, indeed! I don't know if I entirely agree with teeituptom, because there are certainly many careers within the specialty of nursing that you could do without feeling like a pharmaceutical vending machine. Sure, if you worked in med-surg, you might feel like a big part of your job is serving up scores of drugs to people. After all, you have to be pretty sick these days to be in a hospital, and these are the people who may take ten or fifteen different drugs. But I don't think that being a nurse requires one to endorse the flagrant over-medication that goes on in our society. I think homeopathy isn't exactly an "evidence based" science. I'm no expert, but from what I understand, there isn't a whole of lot research that backs its philosophy. Moreover, homeopathy involves countless drugs. The difference is you take them in extremely small quantities.

There is plenty of room in nursing, and medicine in general, for people who believe one should promote health by non-drug routes as much as possible. This is especially true in psych - there's lots of evidence to suggest that an exercise program will treat depression even better than SSRIs. As well, heart disease, diabetes, you name it, they all can be helped by lifestyle changes. At the same time, if I had high blood pressure, hand over those meds to me! Obviously drugs save lives. What would we do without antibiotics? On the other hand, mds are too quick with the prescription pad:

Here's an example: I recently had a doc look at a bite I had that I was 100 percent certain was a flea bite because I saw the sucker. Because I'm slightly allergic, he was convinced it was Lyme and sent me packing with a script for massive antibiotics, which I didn't take. Why should I make myself even more resistant to antiobiotics when I don't need them? The md felt obliged to order the antiobiotics so I couldn't sue him later if I did have Lyme, and I was obliged not to take the pills to take care of myself, knowing full well I didn't have a deer tick bite. The lab test came back negative, which didn't surprise me.

Diahni

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Nov 9, 2007

Here's an example: I recently had a doc look at a bite I had that I was 100 percent certain was a flea bite because I saw the sucker. Because I'm slightly allergic, he was convinced it was Lyme and sent me packing with a script for massive antibiotics, which I didn't take. Why should I make myself even more resistant to antiobiotics when I don't need them? The md felt obliged to order the antiobiotics so I couldn't sue him later if I did have Lyme, and I was obliged not to take the pills to take care of myself, knowing full well I didn't have a deer tick bite. The lab test came back negative, which didn't surprise me.
Diahni

See, you nailed a lot of it: how litigious we've become. How much of our work as nurses is to cover our rears? TOO much!

I certainly believe we whould all take better care of ourselves. But, for many reasons, we don't. Right now I'm quite overweight, one pound under official obesity for my height and gender. I know how to lose weight. I exercise regularly. I'm a nurse, for crying out loud. But do I back away from the buffet? Noooo. I tell myself that that third plate is melon and therefore healthy.

Now, I'm not taking Alli, either, but were my doc willing to prescribe a little Ritalin I can't say I'd turn it down.