Posts Tagged pharmacist

The Medical Philosophy of Homeopathy

In the early 19th century, most hospitals were for the poor and physicians were not a crucial part of most American patients’ experience. Sick people relied on the advice and help of neighbors and midwives. When patients did seek out a medical practitioner they had a plethora of options, perhaps the widest choice in American history. At the time, there was no single medical profession in the US. There were no national boards, specialty boards, government or private research institutes, or certification committees. Because there was no national examining or regulatory agencies, the doctors’ practices were even more individualize than it is today.

Medical practice was not unified. American medicine was diverse and competitive; perhaps the most open medical marketplace of any Western nations. Doctors often disagree about the proper therapy and about diagnosis. Their practice had to be responsive to the context in which it occurred. They frequently complained that as they entered a patient’s home, it was not the doctor but the patient and family who made the final choice of treatment. Until the 1850s most medical education did not take place in medical schools. An American practitioner did not need to have a medical degree or any formal certification from the state to be regarded as a legitimate physician. Medical training was done by apprenticeship. Doctors obtained medical skills and knowledge from older skilled healers in their communities (Rogers). Read the rest of this entry »

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DEA Shatters International Internet Drug Ring

The US DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) has announced the results of Operation “Cyber Chase”, a year long organized crime drug enforcement task force investigation that targeted international Internet pharmaceutical traffickers operating in the United States, India, Asia, Europe and the Caribbean. DEA Administrator Karen P. Tandy announced the success of the program, part of the ongoing effort by the DEA to shut down “rogue” Internet pharmacies which distribute drugs illegally in the United States.

Over the course of 48 hours, there were 20 arrests in the U.S. and overseas. Arrests occurred in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Ft. Lauderdale, Floria, Sarasota Florida, Abilene Texas and Tyler Texas. In addition, arrests occurred in San Jose, Costa Rica, New Delhi, Agra, and Bombay, India. Operation “Cyber Chase” targeted major pharmaceutical drug traffickers who allegedly shipped Schedule II-V pharmaceutical controlled substances including amphetamines, narcotics and anabolic steroids directly to buyers of all ages without the medical examination by a physician required by U.S. law. The drug traffickers used more than 200 websites to illegally distribute these substances. Read the rest of this entry »

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Online Pharmacies and Telemedicine

Not a day goes by when our email inboxes do not fill with advertisements for prescription drugs. Many of these emails promise to deliver drugs of all classes by overnight courier without a prescription. While there are legitimate online pharmacies, and the practice of telemedicine or cyber-medicine is gaining acceptance, this change in the way medicine is being practiced is rocking the foundations of the medical establishment. Being able to consult a doctor online, and obtain prescription drugs delivered to your doorstep by UPS has broad social and legal implications. The Internet facilitates making drugs available to those who may not be able to afford to pay US prices, are embarrassed to see a doctor face-to-face, or are suffering from pain, the treatment of which puts most doctors in direct conflict with the ‘war on drugs’ but on the other hand there is the question whether these pharmacies make drugs available to recreational drug users without the oversight of a licensed medical practitioner.

The Need for Alternatives

Medical care in the US has reached a point where it is expensive and impersonal which has caused the consumer to become generally unsatisfied with the medical establishment as a whole. Examples include the huge differences between the cost of drugs in the US and Canada, long wait times in US pharmacies, and poor service in general. Perhaps realizing this, US customs appears to tolerate the millions of Americans that visit Canada every year to buy their medications, as for the most part, these ‘drug buyers’ are elderly American’s that can’t afford the high cost of filling their prescriptions in the US. Read the rest of this entry »

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