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The PPACA Thread Part III - Let's have a healthy debate!

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Re: The PPACA Thread Part III - Let's have a healthy debate!

Terrific article:

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/04/cliff-asness-struggles-to-express-obamacare-rage.html

I've asked this before but maybe some righties can answer out here: If in the "Obama economy" the drop in the unemployment rate is all due to part time jobs, and part time jobs don't offer benefits....then how is the uninsured rate dropping if the ACA has nothing to do with it???? Fishy, Flaggy, Opie, joe, Clown, etc etc - what gives?
 
Re: The PPACA Thread Part III - Let's have a healthy debate!

Could not agree more. The direct to consumer campaign in the media, advertising medications that only their doctor can write for them, is a major problem. They always show active attractive people having fun in life, doing all sorts of aerobic exercise. But listen carefully at the end as they roll through the side effects in that sweet voice monotone. And of course they should add, "ask your doctor if you suffer any of these side effects including death."

God I hate that effing crap. I just about stab my eyes and ears every time I see a diabetes drug where the person is climbing Everest or they have some sort of upbeat song showing everyone doing a Simpsons-esque musical number.
 
Re: The PPACA Thread Part III - Let's have a healthy debate!

God I hate that effing crap. I just about stab my eyes and ears every time I see a diabetes drug where the person is climbing Everest or they have some sort of upbeat song showing everyone doing a Simpsons-esque musical number.

What was the allergy one where they played "What a Wonderful World"? I seem to recall the side effects including nosebleeds and coughing.
 
Re: The PPACA Thread Part III - Let's have a healthy debate!

God I hate that effing crap. I just about stab my eyes and ears every time I see a diabetes drug where the person is climbing Everest or they have some sort of upbeat song showing everyone doing a Simpsons-esque musical number.

The key is trying to listen to that soft voice running down the side effects. Seemingly minimal as they go along, but some of the stuff listed scares the poop out of you. "May cause death" or other serious reactions is the one that gets my attention.
 
Re: The PPACA Thread Part III - Let's have a healthy debate!

The key is trying to listen to that soft voice running down the side effects. Seemingly minimal as they go along, but some of the stuff listed scares the poop out of you. "May cause death" or other serious reactions is the one that gets my attention.

Like all of the anti-depression meds, they always talk about thoughts of suicide.

I'm actually shocked they don't use the get-through-the-fine-print-quickly voice, similar to what you hear on radio ads.
 
Re: The PPACA Thread Part III - Let's have a healthy debate!

I'm not saying that the samples are necessarily a bad thing - I've been given samples a couple of times when the doctor knows the med is name-brand with no generic equivalent, and will be a $40 co-pay.
Knew exactly where your emphasis was but i could not let that little aside pass. I must say though, going way back-Roche had the supermodels of the industry calling on me. Especially when they came in with their spiel about Valium, Librium, and the various sleep medications like Dalmane and Noludar and Halcion. I was much younger back then and they knew exactly what to send into my office to get my attention. But if I sat in my consultation room with one of these for more than about 4 minutes, suddenly Jenny would have some emergency for me in the office that needed my immediate attention.
 
Re: The PPACA Thread Part III - Let's have a healthy debate!

Like all of the anti-depression meds, they always talk about thoughts of suicide.

I'm actually shocked they don't use the get-through-the-fine-print-quickly voice, similar to what you hear on radio ads.

I am unaware of any antidepression medication that either does not or should have that warning. Depression can be very difficult to treat and deal with but one protective factor about it is that it usually is accompanied by poverty of action and motion. Depressed people just do not feel like doing anything, and that often includes killing themselves. Give them a sudden boost of positive energy, like sometimes happens with all these well meaning antidepressive medications, and sometimes you now have a very depressed person who has been given the energy to act on those impulses. It is a very tricky and delicate balance which takes considerable training and attention to treat. I shudder when I hear someone is just handed a prescription for these drugs without the careful monitoring necessary.
 
Re: The PPACA Thread Part III - Let's have a healthy debate!

The key is trying to listen to that soft voice running down the side effects. Seemingly minimal as they go along, but some of the stuff listed scares the poop out of you. "May cause death" or other serious reactions is the one that gets my attention.
Thats why I love the Phil Mickelson ad for Enbrel, read about biologics and you won't think its some walk on the back nine.
 
Re: The PPACA Thread Part III - Let's have a healthy debate!

I'm actually shocked they don't use the get-through-the-fine-print-quickly voice, similar to what you hear on radio ads.

I wonder if they can't. I'm sure everything they do is right up against the edge of legality. Presumably there's a regulation, or they'd do it.
 
Re: The PPACA Thread Part III - Let's have a healthy debate!

I am unaware of any antidepression medication that either does not or should have that warning. Depression can be very difficult to treat and deal with but one protective factor about it is that it usually is accompanied by poverty of action and motion. Depressed people just do not feel like doing anything, and that often includes killing themselves. Give them a sudden boost of positive energy, like sometimes happens with all these well meaning antidepressive medications, and sometimes you now have a very depressed person who has been given the energy to act on those impulses. It is a very tricky and delicate balance which takes considerable training and attention to treat. I shudder when I hear someone is just handed a prescription for these drugs without the careful monitoring necessary.

I've always wondered about that. This is the first explanation why that's actually made sense to me.
 
Re: The PPACA Thread Part III - Let's have a healthy debate!

But if they made the warnings shorter, then the walks the attractive ladies make (looking to he sky) during the Viagra commercials would be so much shorter ;)
 
Re: The PPACA Thread Part III - Let's have a healthy debate!

I would have zero issues banning advertising for drugs.

One of the worst kept marketing secrets of big pharma is the practice of hiring young, attractive women as "sales reps" to drop off med samples and "free" lunch at doctor's offices. :p

Celebrity endorsements as well - Paula Dean was getting paid to hawk her diabetes meds, Phil Mickelson gets paid to talk up his arthritis meds, etc. It's a circus.

I agree completely. I also think physicians advertising is kind of shady as well. It is my understanding that the AMA had a policy against that but that fell off the books soon after lawyers were allowed to advertise IIRC (Supreme court case, maybe 1970s?). I would be fine returning to that policy or something thereabouts. Patients are an incredibly susceptible, vulnerable population, and advertising preys on this. Physicians should be the last people involved in that practice.

I actually think a lot of improvements have been made with the whole drug advertising to physicians thing. The large hospitals I have worked in have basically eliminated all exposure with drug reps, no meals, and no pens or licensed things around.

It was nice having samples around but I understand why it is falling out of practice. I once had a "frozen" Parkinson's patient in the clinic that we could do nothing for until they were admitted. In the past, we would have at least had a sample medication we could give to them in the clinic but we were stuck, helpless.

Again, I will plug Bad Pharma by Ben Goldacre. Read it.
 
Re: The PPACA Thread Part III - Let's have a healthy debate!

I wonder if they can't. I'm sure everything they do is right up against the edge of legality. Presumably there's a regulation, or they'd do it.

There has to be some sort of regulation that they must say it (can't be fine print), but I don't know about the speed. I know in NY that attorney commercials may not have musical jingles. The two Heavy Hitters groups (MH&M and A&C) eventually got caught and had to scrap that particular portion, although Vermont stations picked up in NY (such as WCAX, since MH&M has an office in Plattsburgh) will continue to use the jingle.
 
Re: The PPACA Thread Part III - Let's have a healthy debate!

There has to be some sort of regulation that they must say it (can't be fine print), but I don't know about the speed. I know in NY that attorney commercials may not have musical jingles. The two Heavy Hitters groups (MH&M and A&C) eventually got caught and had to scrap that particular portion, although Vermont stations picked up in NY (such as WCAX, since MH&M has an office in Plattsburgh) will continue to use the jingle.

Why do you know this stuff so well? This isn't the first time you've made specific and interesting points about that industry. Is it your line of work?

I enjoy it when people in industries gives their opinions on matters with which they have experience. This is one of the best parts of living in the DC area -- being interested in politics, it's great to talk to people who know about their spot on the elephant. Doesn't mean they're speaking gospel of course -- it's still opinion. But it's more than the usual game of telephone where everybody is repeating one or two talking points.
 
Re: The PPACA Thread Part III - Let's have a healthy debate!

Why do you know this stuff so well? This isn't the first time you've made specific and interesting points about that industry. Is it your line of work?

I enjoy it when people in industries gives their opinions on matters with which they have experience. This is one of the best parts of living in the DC area -- being interested in politics, it's great to talk to people who know about their spot on the elephant. Doesn't mean they're speaking gospel of course -- it's still opinion. But it's more than the usual game of telephone where everybody is repeating one or two talking points.

Law is not my profession, but I do have a bit of a fascination with trivia; probably stems from my lifelong love for game shows.
 
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