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Posted on 04/22/2015 3:44:26 PM PDT by aimhigh
A Veterans Affairs hospital in West Virginia switched out patients’ prescribed medications with older drugs to cut costs, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) announced in a letter to Congress and the White House Wednesday.
. . .
The investigation also found that hospital’s pharmacy and therapeutics committee was chaired by a non-physician, another departure from VA policy.
(Excerpt) Read more at freebeacon.com ...
Newer not necessarily better, just ex patents.
Unheard of
All Hospital Clinical Committees are chaired by Physicians
Would be interesting to know if they were spending money on any of the “green energy” upgrades that were all the rage at VA hospitals over the last few years.
I think you mean office remodels for executives.
“Senator Tammy Baldwin (D, WI)! Please pick up the white Courtesy Phone in the Lobby!”
http://watchdog.org/213147/tammy-baldwin-ethics-marquette-baylor/
Physicians are not unknown to prescribe the latest medications thinking they are better, when they really aren't.
It depends on the situation. Lots of times the best medication is the old tried and true medication.
As for non-physicians heading up a Pharmacy and Therapeutics committee, pharmacists can and do have Doctorates in Pharmacology. They're not considered M. D.s, but they are Doctors of Pharmacology.
Pharmacists focus on medications and their efficacy. I see nothing wrong with a Doctor of Pharmacology heading up this committee.
When new medications come along, physicians call and discuss them with pharmacists all the time.
There may be issues here, but I'm not convinced of it by this article or the report it's based on.
I have always stood up for the VA, currently in the one I held in highest esteem, but I do have some horror stories after being here 4 days. Will be making calls and writing letters upon return home.
Research is showing that the older antipsychotics are just as effective as the newer ones and all have varying issues.
I know several nurses and physicians that work for VA ... they are embarrassed and outraged by the “management team” actions.
The VA isn’t perfect, but if you have the time check out the practices of the big, for-profit insurance companies. They are always sacrificing patient care for profit, and have unqualified personnel deciding on what treatments/meds patients should receive, even when something else has been recommended by their physicians.
Now, having said that, a lot of physicians are prescribing drugs based upon the perks they receive from the drug companies.
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