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It's true, many of those and other side or adverse effects of medication are rare, so would be unlikely to be a problem with most folks who take the meds. Or the side effects are minor and patients get used to the meds after a time. But as you mention, if a side effect is reported in a study it has to be included in the information given out on the drug.
But you never know, so I guess that is why the main consideration for taking any drug, that the benefits outweigh the negative effects. And that is also why I remain skeptical about such extensive advertising for prescription drugs, when it's has the effect of making people for whom the drugs are not appropriate insist on getting them anyway.
Maybe it's that vision of old folks running along the beach, laughing and jumping and moving as if they were 20 year olds ?
I'm really surprised it's not higher than this. With society's bad dietary habits, obesity, vices, mental health issues, etc., in additional to regular illnesses, I'm surprised only 60% are medicated.
Maybe it's that vision of old folks running along the beach, laughing and jumping and moving as if they were 20 year olds ?
LOL, brings to mind the story of the church minister who at Easter invited the kiddos up to the altar, then asked them "Do you know what resurrection means?". When there was no response, he then said "What do you think of when you hear the story of resurrection?".
After a long pause, a 4-year old raised his hand and said "When it lasts 4 hours or more, I think you're supposed to call the doctor."
I think that is happening more these days. Hostility, especially when it's repeated towards the docs or the staff, is one of the reasons given for "firing" a patient. As it should be.
I am a Primary Care R.N. at a local VA which my clinic is in a complex that contains an acute care hospital and subspecialty clinics. In addition to having the PA alerts such as Code Blue for cardiac arrest, Code Red for fire, we also have several others including one that alerts staff a patient is threatening to self harm or harm others. Over the last couple of years it has not been unusual to hear this particular alert being called 2-3 times a day. Most often the reason for this alert can be traced to something related to narcotics such as a denial of a prescription, or the dose was reduced to the great displeasure of the patient. Unfortunately despite daily complaining by the staff, our clinics are not very secure allowing patients easy access to the exam areas which creates a very unsafe work environment especially when there is a high population of dual diagnosis (medical/psychiatric) patients. As much as I enjoy my job and consider myself pretty good with calming down the most irate of patients, I am glad I am at the tail end of my career and not just starting out because my work environment in many aspects is getting more hostile by the day.
With regards to "firing" a patient that will never happen at the VA. But, VA patients, staff, visitors, etc. can for due cause be arrested on site by our security staff which are armed Federal police officers and I am very glad my office is right next door to theirs!!!!
I am a Primary Care R.N. at a local VA which my clinic is in a complex that contains an acute care hospital and subspecialty clinics. In addition to having the PA alerts such as Code Blue for cardiac arrest, Code Red for fire, we also have several others including one that alerts staff a patient is threatening to self harm or harm others. Over the last couple of years it has not been unusual to hear this particular alert being called 2-3 times a day. Most often the reason fhor this alert can be traced to something related to narcotics such as a denial of a prescription, or the dose was reduced to the great displeasure of the patient. Unfortunately despite daily complaining by the staff, our clinics are not very secure allowing patients easy access to the exam areas which creates a very unsafe work environment especially when there is a high population of dual diagnosis (medical/psychiatric) patients. As much as I enjoy my job and consider myself pretty good with calming down the most irate of patients, I am glad I am at the tail end of my career and not just starting out because my work environment in many aspects is getting more hostile by the day.
With regards to "firing" a patient that will never happen at the VA. But, VA patients, staff, visitors, etc. can for due cause be arrested on site by our security staff which are armed Federal police officers and I am very glad my office is right next door to theirs!!!!
Unfortunately I'm not surprised at hearing of the increased hostility at your VA clinic, IMO it goes along with what seems like an increase in hostility among the populace in many settings. I'm familiar with the openness of the VA clinics as my husband goes to one in our neck of the woods for his healthcare. Most private doctor's offices and clinics these days seem to tend to keep the exam rooms, and other rooms used by the medical personnel for patient care locked and patient access to those areas limited, and for good reason. Then doctor's practices do have the option of "firing" unruly or hostile patients (although they must provide care in an emergency for 30 days after the firing).
I know you don't have that option for someone like that at the VA, so having the person arrested at least gets them off site for a time. I'm guessing they face charges for disorderly conduct, assault, or whatever is appropriate to their behavior, following arrests, but do the repercussions for these folks ever include not being allowed to come back to your VA for their medical care?
So many people are addicted to opioids.....oxycodone and other painkillers. Along with Xanax, etc. I can see a good number of people getting very emotionally upset at the Veterans hospitals and facilities when denied continuing ongoing prescriptions for those or having their dosage cut back.
Sorry you have to experience that more and more, Travelassie.
Last edited by matisse12; 11-22-2015 at 04:15 PM..
That is the strange part of our regrets in Southeast. We move from the Philadelphia area to here, with two daughters and five grandchildren already here. We though this was a no-brainer, but both of us keep thinking of home and wishing were back in PA. We lived in PA all of our lives, same town. As for going back, it is financially impossible. if we do go back we will need to rent. We sold our home, bought another here, but with the mortgage regulations, we can not afford it.
We keep thinking it will get better and having the grandchildren is great, but we wish we had kept our home, at least for a couple more years.
So many people are addicted to opioids.....oxycodone and other painkillers. Along with Xanax, etc. I can see a good number of people getting very emotionally upset at the Veterans hospitals and facilities when denied continuing ongoing prescriptions for those or having their dosage cut back.
Sorry you have to experience that more and more, Travelassie.
It's ok, I've been around for a long time and seen lots of things, so not much fazes me. I used to visit a lot of doctor's offices for my last job, and noticed that most of them kept the entrances from the waiting rooms to their examining rooms and offices locked, from what I could see, for good reason. I worked in a pediatric oncology clinic before that and recalled they started locking their doors from the waiting room after death threats from a father whose son had died, parents helping themselves to office and medical supplies, and toys given to kids after painful procedures and generally anything not nailed down. One ofthe teenagers even stole a bunch of the docs prescription pads and was forging the docs names to keep himself supplied with narcotics, till he got caught, fired and prosecuted.
But I'm retired and out of all that now, moved to a small town and realize, as I think about the docs locked offices, that both my primary and eye doctors keep their offices wide open, exam and equipment rooms aren't locked, and are open to the waiting areas.
And the VA clinic my husband goes to is also open, but fortunately we haven't seen the type of anger and violence that Nightengale describes at her VA. But this area is overwhelmingly populated with retirees and older folks, maybe that makes a difference.
Maybe it's Nightengale who needs that sympathy? She has mine.
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