Makes Sense- Checks Out
Sometimes (well, maybe more than that) I get a little frustrated with society. It’s almost like we have given up on thinking for ourselves; having a little common sense.
One example of this is the content of weather reports. The forecaster will tell us – it’s going to rain during the day and then get chilly during the evening. That’s where the forecast should end. But no, they then tell us – bring an umbrella, maybe some rain boots, and for this evening you might want to bring a jacket.
Really? Have people lost the ability to know what to wear if rain and chilly temps are in the forecast?
Maybe it’s just the litigious society we now have. “Hey that weather forecaster didn’t tell me to wear a coat! I caught a cold and missed work! I’m suing!”
Maybe farfetched. Maybe I’m getting old. I do yell at kids to get off my lawn and shake my fist at passing clouds.
During the pandemic the government enacted a public health emergency. One of the benefits of this was the expansion of telemedicine. It allowed people to “see” a provider without the need to be there in person.
On May 11th the health emergency is set to expire. And with that expiration comes new rules for prescribing certain medications online. According to a recent New York Times article, “When these proposals go into effect, doctors will need to follow different, more restrictive guidelines when writing online prescriptions for controlled medications like the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder drug Adderall; the addictive painkiller OxyContin; Xanax, which is used for panic or anxiety disorders; and the anticonvulsant drug Klonopin, which is also used to treat anxiety.”
The article goes on to describe the main point of the changes, “If the proposals are approved as currently written, patients who are receiving prescriptions for controlled medications from a provider they have never seen in person will need to have at least one in-person appointment after the public health emergency ends in order to continue receiving their prescriptions.”
Makes sense to me. The rules are basically going back to pre-pandemic standards.
But according to the article, “news of the proposals has been met with criticism, praise and confusion.”
Praise I can understand. Criticism and confusion – not so much. If you need one of these controlled medications you’re going to have to actually see a doctor, in their office, face to face, like it was pre-pandemic. And, just one time!
And mind you, this is not directed at your run-of-the-mill antibiotics for a sinus infection. These new rules are aimed at the more “dangerous” controlled release drugs. You should WANT to see a doctor first if you need these medications.
Anyway, to me, it just seems like common sense.
But remember, before you go see your doctor check out the weather forecast. You never know when you might need a sweater if it’s going to be chilly.
Mike Auerbach
Editor-In-Chief
[email protected]
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