Dear Friends and Family,
It's slowly dawning on me (or it's something I've known forever, but just don't write about) that I dislike medication. I'm concerned that as a whole we're an over-medicated society. And it may be how the risk-reward incentive system is set up.
I went to the hospital yesterday and the doctor looked at my hand and recommended Benadryl or Claritin to ease the swelling if it was bothering me and he wrote a prescription for antibiotics because he thought I might have an infection.
I filled the prescription, but I have yet to take it. I did cave last night and took a Claritin for the swelling.
My thoughts? What's the risk associated with prescribing the antibiotics? Well, if the FDA is doing it's job, the short term risk should be minimal. Reward? Patient goes away feeling like they have a solution to their problem. What's the risk of not prescribing the antibiotics? Well, if there's no infection, at worst the patient might feel like going to see a doctor is a waste of money. If there is an infection, then that's where all heck can break loose. Therefore, the system is set up to prescribe the antibiotics.
On to the Claritin and Benadryl. Somehow, those don't seem as malignant as the antibiotics. The perception might be because I've taken it before. It might be because it's over the counter. It might be because the list of short term and long term side effects seems to be more clear cut - I'm not creating super-allergens, at least not to my knowledge. It might be because he left it up to me to manage my care - take as needed. Risk to doctor if I take it? Minimal. Risk to doctor if I don't take it? Minimal. Reward to doctor if I take it? Minimal. Reward to doctor if I don't take it? Minimal. Therefore, it feels less motivated since there's nothing either way for him in giving the advice.
To be clear, this is different, in my mind, than my friends parents who tried to pray away her Type I diabetes. There's medication and there's over-medication and everyone draws that line at a different point. My line is drawn well before skipping on the insulin shots, but well after taking a pill just in case.
I think that's one of the most important life skills I can impart upon P - to think through how motivations can incent certain behaviors in people and to think through what that means for how they are interacting with her.
Cheers!
mouse
It's slowly dawning on me (or it's something I've known forever, but just don't write about) that I dislike medication. I'm concerned that as a whole we're an over-medicated society. And it may be how the risk-reward incentive system is set up.
I went to the hospital yesterday and the doctor looked at my hand and recommended Benadryl or Claritin to ease the swelling if it was bothering me and he wrote a prescription for antibiotics because he thought I might have an infection.
I filled the prescription, but I have yet to take it. I did cave last night and took a Claritin for the swelling.
My thoughts? What's the risk associated with prescribing the antibiotics? Well, if the FDA is doing it's job, the short term risk should be minimal. Reward? Patient goes away feeling like they have a solution to their problem. What's the risk of not prescribing the antibiotics? Well, if there's no infection, at worst the patient might feel like going to see a doctor is a waste of money. If there is an infection, then that's where all heck can break loose. Therefore, the system is set up to prescribe the antibiotics.
On to the Claritin and Benadryl. Somehow, those don't seem as malignant as the antibiotics. The perception might be because I've taken it before. It might be because it's over the counter. It might be because the list of short term and long term side effects seems to be more clear cut - I'm not creating super-allergens, at least not to my knowledge. It might be because he left it up to me to manage my care - take as needed. Risk to doctor if I take it? Minimal. Risk to doctor if I don't take it? Minimal. Reward to doctor if I take it? Minimal. Reward to doctor if I don't take it? Minimal. Therefore, it feels less motivated since there's nothing either way for him in giving the advice.
To be clear, this is different, in my mind, than my friends parents who tried to pray away her Type I diabetes. There's medication and there's over-medication and everyone draws that line at a different point. My line is drawn well before skipping on the insulin shots, but well after taking a pill just in case.
I think that's one of the most important life skills I can impart upon P - to think through how motivations can incent certain behaviors in people and to think through what that means for how they are interacting with her.
Cheers!
mouse
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