According to some health professionals, the Affordable Care Act marked the end of free-market healthcare and began a downward spiral of healthcare in the United States. The ACA legislation went into effect in 2013 and picked up power in 2014 as more systems in the plan were implemented. However, according to the US National Library of Medicine, a peer review published in November 2011stated the efficiency of healthcare in the US started to decline a decade earlier in 2001. Let's take a look and see if we can't get a clearer picture of events, how this affects millions of people and what we can do about it.
THE SHORTAGES
The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and the FDA report there has been a "supply issue" with regards to prescription medications. When there is a disruption in the supply of medications it will influence patient care. As a manufacturer of natural medicines I can attest that there are multiple things that can disrupt production of products such as unavailable raw materials, manufacturing problems (equipment failure or utility disruption), business decisions, delivery disruptions and regulatory issues. In 2010, the Drug Information Services at the University of Utah Health Care tracked 211 drug shortages, which was reported as the highest number recorded to date in a one-year period. Premier Healthcare Alliance reported in 2011 that 240 medications were limited or not available and over 400 generic medications were back-ordered delaying the filling of prescriptions by seven days. Let's take a look at the progression of drug shortages over a six year period.
- In 2006 there were 70 medications unavailable
- In 2007 there were 129 medications unavailable
- In 2008 there were 149 medications unavailable
- In 2009 there were 166 medications unavailable
- In 2010 there were 211 medications unavailable
- In 2011 there were 240 medications unavailable
Anyone can see that there is a rapid escalation in medication shortages. According to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, drug shortages seem to be categorized as a manufacturing problem (23%), supply and demand issues (13%) and a majority are classified as unknown (55%).
WHICH DRUGS ON SHORT LIST?
The medications that are in short supply or unavailable are medications for cancer, heart disease, pain and IV (intravenous) medications. It is strange that prior to 2001 these medications were readily available and now they are not and it is affecting patient care nationwide. What is more alarming is the shortages are now extending to medical supplies as nurses around the country are saying that they don't have proper training or equipment to do their jobs properly and safely. According to the medical peer review, the manufacturers of FDA regulated medications or equipment are to notify the FDA six months in advance if there will be shortages or if they plan to stop manufacturing the item(s). This is supposed to be a warning system set up to help regulate disruptions in the supply chain but is it not strictly enforced. Apparently, the terms of the FDA regulations do not have a statutory definition for "medically necessary" and the manufacturers are not required to legally notify the FDA and they are not penalized if they do not. However, manufacturers are required to notify the FDA of quality control problems. So, the advance warning system is really an after-the-fact damage control system. Therefore, the likelihood that patients could be forced to use a drug made outside the US is high. They call this nontraditional distributors or the "gray-market." The costs will be much higher as these markets deal in smaller quantities of the drugs and there are no guarantees on the quality of product.
PATIENT IMPACT
In 2010, the Institute of Safe Medication Practices reported on a survey involving 1,800 healthcare practitioners including pharmacists, on the impact the drug shortages.
- Most reported (84%) that they did not receive advance warning of a drug shortage.
- There was a difficulty rating of 80% in finding comparable medications.
- The comparable medications included a 78% increase in costs.
- Some medications (70%) were not replaceable.
- Medical professionals stated the lack of medications increased adverse patient risk by 64%.
- The survey reported there were 1,000 adverse patient events (near-misses) due to the drug shortages.
- Drug shortages can also extend the length of stay in the hospital increasing costs.
- They estimate the drug shortages cost a minimum of $216 million annually.
PATIENT ASSUMES RISK
When there is a short supply on drugs or healthcare in general, the patient assumes all the risk. The non-traditional drug suppliers are known to sell counterfeit drugs. It is really a crap shoot if the drug will work or offer new side effects. What the research is showing, when the drugs disappear there are devastating injuries; medication mistakes, inadequate doses and death. When doctors are forced to prescribe a different medication there is a risk that they are not familiar with the drug and proper dose. This throws standardized medicine a curve ball. With this research emerging there is the likelihood that some medications will begin to be rationed or available only to a certain age group. Let's get real. Patients who are dependent daily on drugs run the risk of receiving a death sentences should the drug supply dry up.
WE'RE ALL HUMAN
With the drug shortages becoming a new reality in the US, medical doctors, nurses, pharmacists and patient grow more frustrated and this is compromising professional and patient relationships. What people are discovering is that the FDA has limited power over drug shortages whether it is over-the-counter medicine, generic drugs, vaccines, biological agents, veterinary drugs, medical equipment, radiological products or nutraceuticals (synthetic supplements). When the shortages become severe, forget rationing the drugs and things will shift to a new definition of "medical necessary". In other words, a life will be statistically calculated to see if there is significant value to save that individual's life. At the November 2010 Health Summit in Bethesda, Maryland, one of the strategies health agencies discussed was patient criteria implemented to "prioritize patients to receive drugs." The doctors, nurses and pharmacists involved in the patient care would use a checklist to determine if their patient meets the guidelines to receive any drug in short supply.
MD SPEAKS OUT
There are some physicians that are seeking other medical modalities as an occupation because of all the changes in the ACA. Dr. Lee Hieb, an orthopedic surgeon, is running for political office as the governor of Iowa. According to Dr. Hieb the healthcare industry of America is heading for a total collapse. She has reported the steady decline in the quality of healthcare; lack of supplies, medications and total hospital care is "catastrophic" in her opinion. Dr. Hieb is also the author of Surviving the Medical Meltdown in referencing the affects of the Affordable Care Act in the US. She reports patients not being able to get their thyroid medications or a tetanus shot especially in rural areas. Dr. Hieb documents the extended wait times to be seen by either primary care doctors or specialists. She reveals that there is not enough specialty doctors to cover ER calls and the hospitals in rural or poor areas are closing as they can't afford to comply with the new regulations. One of the first signs of a healthcare system collapse is hospital closings. She has witnessed the lack of staff and supplies available to treat those in one of the largest segments of healthcare in American; Medicaid. According to her book, it will not take long to hit the "critical number" of doctors leaving the profession. Aging populations require more physicians and doctors don't work for free. More than half of the surgeons in the US are over fifty-years-of-age and are not being replaced fast enough. Within a year or two these surgeons will reduce their work load or retire under the stress. We have a healthcare system that according to experts is unsustainable. Dr. Hieb advises people in her book that in order to survive they should acquire a healthy lifestyle and removes toxins. She also recommends people stockpile healthcare items for their families. This is what I've been saying for over fifteen years. It appears the harsh reality is hitting those in medicine that everyone will need to take care of themselves and they won't be able to rely on doctors or the government to help them. Dr. Hieb is correct when she states;
"Government being government will never ignore the chance to use a crisis to further its agenda of power and growth. But let's look around us. How has government done in the fields of education, banking, the post office or the DMV? The single-source medical care is lousy. The longer such a system exists, the worse it becomes. By the time the Berlin Wall fell and peeking into the world of Soviet medicine, 57% of their hospitals had no hot water and 36% had no water at all. There were dead cats lying in the hallways and needles were reused without sterilization." Dr. Lee Hieb, orthopedic surgeon
THE STRAGGLERS
The physicians that do remain in medicine will wish they hadn't. According to Dr. Jane Orient, editor of the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, says that the new healthcare in America monitors its doctors through electronic medical records. According to Dr. Orient the ACA keeps tabs on doctors through the digital database to monitor doctor activity. For instance, they will be able to see if doctors are convincing their patients to get vaccinated. Dr. Orient says the system is set up to coerce doctors through intimidation and threats to comply. She says, "It's demeaning and it's insulting, but it's very, very powerful." She admits that doctors are waking up to the latest science that suggests vaccines are not as safe and effective as authorities claim but the system now pressures the physicians into holding the "official line"with regards to vaccines or it could mean the end of their medical career.
THE BIG PICTURE
I know the big picture looks very different than what is projected by the media and by health authorities, however knowledge is power. More so than any other time in history is it important to be proactive with your health and avoid allopathic medicine as much as possible. There are always options and when implemented properly can be more cost effective and efficient that modern medicine. Dr. Hieb is correct that we need to prepare ourselves. I tend to look at allopathic medicine in catastrophic terms. I don't like the philosophy of simply improving quality of life or disease management until the inevitable happens. I strive for the cure. The human body is designed to heal itself if we provide the nutrition it needs and omit the toxins it doesn't need. I call this the "cleanse and nourish" approach and it has worked for thousands of years. Where people mess this up is they wait too long to implement natural therapies or they mix them with allopathic treatments which undermine them. The reality is being responsible for one's health is more work but the rewards are permanent and satisfying. We are more powerful than we think when we use proper nutrition, exercise and use natural instead of toxic treatments. For information and tools on cleansing away toxins, empowering your immune system and getting off prescription drugs call Apothecary Herbs 866-229-3663, International 704-885-0277 http://www.thepowerherbs.com, where your healthcare options just became endless. Spring is the perfect time to cleanse and save with our coupons posted on the HMO page http://www.thepowerherbs.com/herbs/Herb-Medicine-Options-HMO.html. Free catalog. Now through 3/23/15 is our Spring Special and receive Free ground ship in the US on orders of $45 or more. Spring is the perfect time to cleanse away toxins and you'll save with free shipping. Use coupon FREESP3.
Sources:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3278171/
http://fortune.com/2015/01/06/the-u-s-has-a-drug-shortage-and-people-are-dying/
http://time.com/3655660/us-drug-shortage/
http://www.wnd.com/2015/03/medical-meltdown-imminent-warns-top-doctor/
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