During this part of the season colds are among the most common health problems we all experience. Adults average about 2 to 4 colds per year. Women tend to have colds more often than men. The reason for this is not known, but is thought to be because women are more likely to be in […]
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This article on the People’s Pharmacy website does a nice job of outlining the history of daily aspirin and of reviewing its pros and cons. As the article points out, the increased risk of bleeding seen with daily aspirin only turns out to effect very few individuals, so the risk, while real, is not very […]
This morning, I’d like to wish all of the the Dr Smith Direct Care patients a very Merry Christmas. Thank you for choosing us to help you with your health care needs. Thanks for “taking a chance” on a new practice model, direct primary care. It will soon be a year since we opened the […]
As noted in this article, many patients are taking five or more prescription medications. It is difficult to predict all of the possible drug-drug interactions that can occur when you are on multiple medications. The term for this is “polypharmacy”. Many find that one or more medications can be safely discontinued, simplifying daily medications and […]
We are experiencing a crisis of opioid use in America and its use is also rapidly increasing in foreign countries. The problem began to gain steam in the 1990’s, in part, due to the pressure upon medical providers to alleviate pain in patients who were in the hospital and Emergency Rooms. It was also fueled […]
Patients often accumulate more daily medication than they need, or remain on medications that are not “good” for them. “Medication reconciliation” is defined as the process of reviewing each of your medications with your physician during an office visit. During this interaction, a discussion should occur as to whether each of your medications is essential, […]
Many patients struggle to pay for their insulin and some have even begun to forego treatment because they can no longer afford it, as outlined in this tragic story. This is not only true for insulin, but for many other medications. Pharmaceutical companies are battling generic drug makers with lawsuits and patents to prevent cheaper […]
An article in this morning’s WSJ provides a list of the best known ways of preserving cognitive function and preventing dementia as we age. There are no secrets or big surprises here. Just an emphasis on the things we already know are good for our overall health: Controlling blood pressure Maintaining a healthy diet Getting […]
Yesterday, I’m very happy to report that the management committee of eDocAmerica, a company that I founded 20 years ago through the UAMS Bioventures program (eDocAmerica.com), approved creation of a patient assistance grant program. The need for this has become apparent as some of the patients I have been caring for at Dr. Smith Direct […]
Most patients still believe that they should come in yearly for a “physical exam”. But, in Harvard’s Health newsletter, Dr. Amy Shipp, a primary care physician, reminds us that adherence to this notion is just plain wrong. She quotes an editorial published in the New England Medical Journal by Mehrotra and Prochazka, who argue that, […]
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