I just watched a commercial for a prescription medication. Instead of saying, "Ask your doctor about XYZ medication..." they instead used the term "prescriber."
I like this... and I don't like this.
First, I like it because not all of the health care professionals I see are docs. Some are P.A.s, some are NPs, and some ARE physicians. My G.P. happens to be a family doctor, but the health care pro I see the most often is a P.A. All of these have the ability to prescribe drugs.
However, it's a constant criticism of the health care world that, all too often, medications are overprescribed. Patients, for whatever reason, don't feel as though they're getting quality care if they don't exit the practice without a prescription. A nearby walk in clinic actually advertises, "$50 for an office visit and prescription."
Well what if the person doesn't need a prescription? Is one given any way?
I like that prescribers are being treated equally (by advertisements, at least), but hate there's a continuation of prescribing medications as treatment – no matter what.
True patient care comes from the health care professional. Not from the drugs, not from the treatment of the ailment, but in the way patients are treated by their prescriber (and sometimes by the prescriber's support staff).
The human element should never, ever be replaced by a pill.
