ER: Who Controls the Drugs?
Do doctors have open access to medications in hospitals or their offices?
In two recent episodes of ER and one episode of House, MD, physicians raided hospital "drug closets" for different reasons, seemingly without conferring with anyone else.
On ER a couple of weeks ago, Dr. Pratt learns from one of his elderly patients that the man's pastor has instituted a "drug exchange" program at his local church. Pratt visits the church and explains to Pastor Watkins that this type of exchange is very dangerous. It turns out that the man Pratt was treating was receiving a hypertension medication that he had been taking for years, even though his prescription had run out long ago. Pratt tells the pastor that this older drug isn't as effective in African Americans as some newer medications.
This past episode, we see Dr. Pratt volunteering at the church. But, when he writes an elderly woman a prescription, Pastor Watkins confronts him and says Pratt has to realize that these people just simply can't afford to pay...even their copays...providing they even have insurance. He tells Pratt to figure out how to pay for the medications himself or forget it.
Next, we see Pratt back in the ER. He is in the drug closet with a box and is taking things off the shelves. One of the new interns, Hope, comes in and asks what he's doing. He tells her he needs some things to help out the folks at the church, but he needs more. She points out that one of the drug reps was just in and may still be there. He runs out.
Near the end of the show, Pratt is walking back into the church with a box, accompanied by Hope. Watkins asks where he got all that stuff, and Pratt says, "I sold my soul to a drug company."
And, on a recent episode of House, MD, House puts together an experimental cocktail of L-Dopa to bring his patient out of a vegetative state for a short period of time.
We asked our own Dr. Michael Smith here at WebMD how realistic it would be for these docs to have this sort of access to hospital pharmacies or medication storage areas. Here is what he had to say:
Keep in mind that a lot of what may have gone on in the background may have not been written into the script. Perhaps Dr. House and Dr. Pratt DO have electronic cards that give them access to these areas. Or, maybe we are just to assume that they've gotten permission from the hospital "powers that be."
Food for thought.
Related Topics: Brand RX Prices Rise Another 6.3%, Medicare RX Benefits -- 2006
Technorati Tags: ER, House,MD, drug exchange
In two recent episodes of ER and one episode of House, MD, physicians raided hospital "drug closets" for different reasons, seemingly without conferring with anyone else.
On ER a couple of weeks ago, Dr. Pratt learns from one of his elderly patients that the man's pastor has instituted a "drug exchange" program at his local church. Pratt visits the church and explains to Pastor Watkins that this type of exchange is very dangerous. It turns out that the man Pratt was treating was receiving a hypertension medication that he had been taking for years, even though his prescription had run out long ago. Pratt tells the pastor that this older drug isn't as effective in African Americans as some newer medications.
This past episode, we see Dr. Pratt volunteering at the church. But, when he writes an elderly woman a prescription, Pastor Watkins confronts him and says Pratt has to realize that these people just simply can't afford to pay...even their copays...providing they even have insurance. He tells Pratt to figure out how to pay for the medications himself or forget it.
Next, we see Pratt back in the ER. He is in the drug closet with a box and is taking things off the shelves. One of the new interns, Hope, comes in and asks what he's doing. He tells her he needs some things to help out the folks at the church, but he needs more. She points out that one of the drug reps was just in and may still be there. He runs out.
Near the end of the show, Pratt is walking back into the church with a box, accompanied by Hope. Watkins asks where he got all that stuff, and Pratt says, "I sold my soul to a drug company."
And, on a recent episode of House, MD, House puts together an experimental cocktail of L-Dopa to bring his patient out of a vegetative state for a short period of time.
We asked our own Dr. Michael Smith here at WebMD how realistic it would be for these docs to have this sort of access to hospital pharmacies or medication storage areas. Here is what he had to say:
"There's really no way for a doc to just walk into a drug closet and grab a bunch of drugs out of the ER or really anywhere in the hospital. They all now have those electronic tracking systems where you have to put in a code just to even get a piece of gauze out. Of course in a doc's office you could do that because no one really tracks it there, but I assume this happened in a hospital. Hospitals often do have pharmacies, which theoretically a doc may be able to sneak in there somehow. But again, if they were going to grab a bunch of drugs, that certainly would not go unnoticed."
Keep in mind that a lot of what may have gone on in the background may have not been written into the script. Perhaps Dr. House and Dr. Pratt DO have electronic cards that give them access to these areas. Or, maybe we are just to assume that they've gotten permission from the hospital "powers that be."
Food for thought.
Related Topics: Brand RX Prices Rise Another 6.3%, Medicare RX Benefits -- 2006
Technorati Tags: ER, House,MD, drug exchange
1 Comments:
Sir,
You very rightly commented on the TV medicine= I feel that TV, newspapers, magazines etc should be banned fom dishing out un solicited advice which they go always-
It is more important that the medical freternity (seeking poularity and probablt custom also add to this problem).
should refrain from indulging in such practices
Ratnam V Velichety
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