Each year in the US, there are several thousand unintentional deaths involving fatal overdoses from incorrect prescriptions. In the following article from The Membership Medicine Blog, the author suggests that doctors with heavy patient loads do not have enough time to focus on each individual patient, leading to the treatment of symptoms, not causes. The ability of membership medicine, also called concierge medicine, to solve these problems is explained in their article reprinted below:
Write It Right. Prescription Errors Lessen As Doctors “Normalize” Their Patient Load
July 27, 2010 by Creator & of Author of The Membership Medicine Blog
In 2000, there were over 7,000 deaths annually in the United States from incorrect prescriptions, according to Carmen Catizone of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. Unintentional deaths involving prescription drugs increased 114 percent from 2001 to 2005, according to The Office of National Drug Control Policy.
Catizone told The Washington Post that as many as 5 percent of the 3 billion prescriptions filled each year are incorrect. In fact, prescription drugs cause most of the more than 26,000 fatal overdoses each year, says Leonard Paulozzi of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
So, What or Who Is To Blame?
Both patients and physicians feed the evolving cycle. With less time to see every patient, doctors are stressed, burned out and don’t really have time to get to know their patient. Spending about 6 to 7 minutes per patient and handling patient loads of 3,000 or more patients per year, doctors are bound to treat more symptoms than causes and much more likely write you a prescription and move onto the next patient.
Patients however are more reliant on drugs than ever before. In fact, following the introduction of oxycodone into Toronto’s drug formulary in 2000, there has been a 500% increase in deaths due to these drugs because of our dependency on them. This according to a new study conducted by physicians at St. Michael’s Hospital and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) in Toronto.
What or Better Yet, “Who” Is The Solution?
Membership medicine or as it is also known concierge medicine physicians provide healthcare services in a more convenient, relaxed, accessible and cost effective delivery model. These physicians can be found across the country and charge patients a “membership” fee (thus term ‘membership medicine’) ranging anywhere from less than $25 per year to $136 per month.
Couple these costs with the understanding that over 80% of your healthcare needs can be met by your PCP or family physician…that results in huge savings to even your most cost-effective insurance product. And, if you need to visit the hospital or ER, there are catastrophic health insurance plans available at considerable savings.
According to a recent excerpt from Marcy Zwelling, MD in The Society of Innovative Medical Practice Design Newsletter, ‘the HSA offered by private insurers has proven that economics 101 works to decrease cost and offer appropriate care. And, over 30% of those purchasing HSA-associated catastrophic insurance had no insurance when they entered the marketplace. Those already owning insurance who convert to an HSA plan use the emergency rooms less and govern the quality of their care. Membership Medicine patients are very happy with the closer relationship they have developed with their doctor and continue to fund their HSA-privately owned account(s).’
In conclusion, if you choose to look into Membership Medicine, the physician you choose will generally include 24/7 access to their patients via the doctor’s personal cell phone (not a receptionist somewhere or answering machine). Also included by most membership medicine are same-day, no wait appointments, personal follow up by the doctor, house calls, visits while you are in the hospital and more.