I have been absent from my blog for a while. For various reasons, not necessary to elaborate on those here. I do know that I have fans out there and I hope you'll join me with comments.
I am preparing several pieces. I will have one on medical tests and their necessity. Some are, some aren't and how do you find out more information. Should you assume that every test your health care professional prescribes is necessary? Since you may have to pay for them separately, it's worth knowing why one is prescribed. Tests can be unpleasant to say the least and there is a tendency to test more than perhaps necessary.
I will address the price of drugs, especially when those appear inappropriately high. Drug companies cite the cost of development as a reason for the high price of drugs but that doesn't explain the huge difference in prices from one country to another.
Also worth discussing is drug and medical device safety and what information regulatory agencies want from companies, health care professionals, institutions and private citizens. And how do you find information about anything you may be using.
I also would like to probe the "ask your doctor about this drug" commercial. Should you? What can you expect to happen when you do and what would you really like to hear about this.
And finally, if you are offered to participate in a clinical trial, what are considerations before you say yes or no?
I would like to invite everyone to let me know which one of these you are most interested in so that I can start with a topic that is more useful to you. And please let me know what topic you would like me to address. I will certainly let you know if that is within the scope of this blog and if I feel that I am sufficiently knowledgeable to address it. Just a reminder; this blog will not address individual medical problems. I do not give medical advice, this blog is for general information. For medical advice you always need to speak to your health care professionals.
Thank you. Looking forward to comments and questions.
