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Bad economy results in getting rid of bad medicine?

AprecheApreche
edited November 2008 in Everything Else
Check this out. Some good might come from the bad economy after all. Not because people are pro-science, but because people want to decrease government waste. Apparently not only are the FDA and FTC allowing sale of bullshit medicines, but medicare/medicaid are paying millions for them. Well, someone found out about that, and is trying to get them to stop.

The one thing that gets me is why the article talks about a list of unapproved medicines? Shouldn't there be a list of approved medicines, and any medicine not on the list is automatically unapproved? A whitelist makes a lot more sense than a black list. We can hope maybe this will eventually lead to insurance companies not paying for chiropractic or acupuncture. We can always hope.
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Comments

  • NorvuNorvu
    Well, I'm sure there are both. A list of approved medicines(obviously) and a list of ones that failed to get approved. I'm hoping this will wake high-up people up over here in the UK, so we can stop the NHS from paying out money to the homeopathy people!
  • gomidoggomidog
    Hooray! Slim down the insurance! This is indeed good news.
  • George PatchesGeorge Patches
    edited November 2008
    Science is slowly, but surely winning.
    Post edited by George Patches on
  • Li_AkahiLi_Akahi
    Science is slowly, but surely winning.
    As it should. Science and rational thought should always win. Maybe with this change, my school will eventually have to stop giving free samples of Airborn at the dining hall.
  • Kate MonsterKate Monster
    Science is slowly, but surely winning.
    Eventhough it moves at a glacial pace, that is the continual trend throughout human history. Despite major setbacks, science has always won out in time.
  • djfooboodjfooboo
    If you knew how many people in the military get seen by a chiropractor it would make your head spin.
  • Kate MonsterKate Monster
    If you knew how many people in the military get seen by a chiropractor it would make your head spin.
    I had a neck injury years ago and my insurance gave me the choice between a chiropractor and physical therapy. I chose chiropractor (I didn't know any better at the time). My neck got worse with each visit. I stopped the treatment and used exercises recommended by my general practitioner. Why aren't we taught about fake medicine in health class in high school?
  • George PatchesGeorge Patches
    If you knew how many people in the military get seen by a chiropractor it would make your head spin.
    What the heck? I mean I've got problems with pinched nerves in my lower back and neck (don't slouch kids, it fucks you up) and I'm seeing a physical therapist with a prescription from a neurologist. Why do people see these people instead of an actual doctor?
  • Bowl Of RiceBowl Of Rice
    Why do people see these people instead of an actual doctor?
    Good sales pitch?
  • Kate MonsterKate Monster
    If you knew how many people in the military get seen by a chiropractor it would make your head spin.
    What the heck? I mean I've got problems with pinched nerves in my lower back and neck (don't slouch kids, it fucks you up) and I'm seeing a physical therapist with a prescription from a neurologist. Why do people see these people instead of an actual doctor?
    Ignorance, the fact that Chiropractors receive licenses (making them appear to be legit) and that the manipulations they do feel good in the moment for a lot of people (even if it leaves lasting damage or doesn't help in the long run).
  • AprecheApreche
    Why do people see these people instead of an actual doctor?
    Before I learned from James Randi and others, I thought that Chiropractor was the word for back doctor the same way that cardiologist was the word for heart doctor. I was always a little confused by all the people making jokes about chiropractors being quacks. Now I know better. There really just isn't a lot of education out there, so even rational people who are merely ignorant get caught.

    Also, the book of chiropractic, chiropractic schools, and many chiropractors out there are indeed full of quackery. However, there do exist people who call themselves chiropractors, but aren't really. You go to them, and they offer basically the same things that physical therapists or sports medicine doctors offer, mostly massage therapy and such. They don't espouse the chiropractic doctrine that adjusting the spine to eliminate subluxations can cure any illness. They just help people with back pain by administering normal treatments that anyone who reads a book on massage therapy can delivery. They went to chiropractic school, and they call themselves chiropractors, but that's just so they can make some dough, even though they don't actually do the quackery.

    However, even if you discover one of these non-quack chiropractors, why patronize them? Sure, they may not be crazy like the others, but you can get the same treatments elsewhere, and probably for less money. And you won't be indirectly supporting the chiropractic bs.
  • TheWhaleSharkTheWhaleShark
    edited November 2008
    Why aren't we taught about fake medicine in health class in high school?
    This is why, more and more, I want to get involved in public health education and design a nationwide health curriculum that isn't stupid. Health class right now consists of learning about STD's and how not to be fat. I'd really like to see a national program of public health education that properly equips people to make educated decisions about their own healthcare needs.

    I also roll this into general education reform, but that's a larger problem to tackle. Start small, I say.
    Post edited by TheWhaleShark on
  • George PatchesGeorge Patches
    This is why, more and more, I want to get involved in public health education and design a nationwide health curriculum that isn't stupid. Health class right now consists of learning about STD's and how not to be fat.
    You didn't seem to learn the how not to get fat part, so why should we listen to you. :P (I jest)
  • TheWhaleSharkTheWhaleShark
    This is why, more and more, I want to get involved in public health education and design a nationwide health curriculum that isn't stupid. Health class right now consists of learning about STD's and how not to be fat.
    You didn't seem to learn the how not to get fat part, so why should we listen to you. :P (I jest)
    However, I have thoroughly learned the art of crushing puny humans. Shall I demonstrate?

    Really, one of these days, I'ma get off my ass and get to grad school. Need to do something to make things better.
  • George PatchesGeorge Patches
    You didn't seem to learn the how not to get fat part, so why should we listen to you. :P (I jest)
    However, I havethoroughlylearned the art of crushing puny humans. Shall I demonstrate?
    You'll have to catch my long legged, skinny ass first. ^_^
  • gomidoggomidog
    You didn't seem to learn the how not to get fat part, so why should we listen to you. :P (I jest)
    No, you have no idea. Peter Olsen is not fat. He may be broad of body, stoat perhaps, but he is packed with viking muscle.

    Whaleshark, breaker of horses and men.
  • RochelleRochelle
    Whaleshark, breaker of horses and men.
    Does he also have swazond? ^_~
  • NuriNuri
    Whaleshark, breaker of horses and men.
    Ah, my perfect mate... :)
  • TheWhaleSharkTheWhaleShark
    edited November 2008
    Whaleshark, breaker of horses and men.
    Ah, my perfect mate... :)
    Don't you go getting any ideas now. :p
    You didn't seem to learn the how not to get fat part, so why should we listen to you. :P (I jest)
    No, you have no idea. Peter Olsen is not fat. He may be broad of body, stoat perhaps, but he is packed with viking muscle.

    Whaleshark, breaker of horses and men.
    He knows. He's met me before. I also know that he's wicked skinny and, yes, could probably outrun me. I could pummel the crap out of him, though.

    By the way, I really dig the way you use my whole name.
    Post edited by TheWhaleShark on
  • George PatchesGeorge Patches
    He knows. He's met me before. I also know that he's wicked skinny and, yes, could probably outrun me. I could pummel the crap out of him, though.
    I didn't get through high school by picking fights with people I couldn't outrun. :P
  • Jordan O.Jordan O.
    Peter Olsen
    This is a little random but WaleShark and I have the same last name
  • ErynEryn
    edited November 2008
    He also has the same name as one of the star members of my high school Drama class, which was a little weird when I first heard his name used on GeekNights. In plays, he was sometimes credited as Peter "The Yellow Dart" Olsen after the Strong Bad e-mail.
    Post edited by Eryn on
  • NuriNuri
    Peter Olsen
    This is a little random but WaleShark and I have the same last name
    Is your first name Jimmy?
  • CramitCramit
    This is a little random but WaleShark and I have the same last name
    It's not so weird if you both are of Scandinavian descent.
  • gomidoggomidog
    My great Grandmother was named Olsen. Anna Olsen. Which is funny because my professor is animating a film called "Dear Anna Olsen."
  • TheWhaleSharkTheWhaleShark
    My great Grandmother was named Olsen. Anna Olsen. Which is funny because my professor is animating a film called "Dear Anna Olsen."
    My paternal grandfather was Bjarne Olsen. You really don't get more Norwegian than that. My paternal grandmother was Ruth Floystad, also quite Norwegian.

    Great-grandma was named Astrid.

    I'm still trying to find the original family name. It seems like it was changed at some point, but I'm not sure. One of these days, I'll track it down.
  • NuriNuri
    Maybe Olsen is derived from Olson? -son being the traditional Norse ending for a male surname, usually tacked onto the end of his father's name. Old Norse culture didn't have surnames that were carried through generations. They were pretty much Dadsnameson, Dadsnamedottir, or some other derivative thereof. That changed at some point when other cultures started mixing in, so at some point whatever name they were using would have stuck. It would be interesting to see how far back the name goes and who you could trace it to.
  • TheWhaleSharkTheWhaleShark
    Maybe Olsen is derived from Olson? -son being the traditional Norse ending for a male surname, usually tacked onto the end of his father's name. Old Norse culture didn't have surnames that were carried through generations. They were pretty much Dadsnameson, Dadsnamedottir, or some other derivative thereof. That changed at some point when other cultures started mixing in, so at some point whatever name they were using would have stuck. It would be interesting to see how far back the name goes and who you could trace it to.
    Actually, Olsen is also a proper Scandinavian surname. It means the same thing as Olson - "son of Ole" - but I believe the "-en" spelling is the more traditional Norwegian convention. I'm pretty sure the "-on" is the more traditional Swedish convention.

    I've been told that the name was at one point "Sveinesen" or "Sveinemsen" or something like that. I know how to pronounce it, but not how to spell it.
  • NuriNuri
    When I say old, I mean OLD old. Like 800 AD. I'm sure the more recent variations are equally as proper. :) I'm kind of a medieval heraldry geek.

    Also, the spelling probably isn't set in stone. The pronunciation was always the important thing. Lots of people spelled their names differently every time they wrote them down.
  • TheWhaleSharkTheWhaleShark
    When I say old, I mean OLD old. Like 800 AD. I'm sure the more recent variations are equally as proper. :) I'm kind of a medieval heraldry geek.

    Also, the spelling probably isn't set in stone. The pronunciation was always the important thing. Lots of people spelled their names differently every time they wrote them down.
    Yeah, I could see that.

    I am quite interested to see how far back my family tree goes. I know where my grandfather was born (Arendal, Norway), and the names of his parents (Thomas and Asta), so I figure I should be able to do some tracing. I also have my grandmother's info somewhere, but I didn't like her, so I don't care as much.
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