Healthcare Damage

Two of the many devastating aspects of the war on drugs are associated with the pronounced effect it has on employment and in the healthcare of those undergoing treatment for chronic disorders requiring the use of a controlled substance. No matter if the disorder has been proven to be legitimate, backed by testing which specifically proves that there are no alternative treatments available which are acceptable, physicians can and have lost their license to practice based on federal laws which are supposedly there to protect the patient. Instead, these laws spawning from the war on drugs and zero tolerance have endangered the lives of otherwise healthy individuals in productive jobs by making treatment inaccessible. Among this category are the 45 million adult Americans suffering from ADD/ADHD, several million others who suffer from narcolepsy and cataplexy, and up to 19 million others who endure obesity and cannot benefit from alternative treatment.

While legal loopholes have enabled some physicians to prescribe controlled substances for those not among "high risk" groups, those in the African American, Latino, and gay bi and lesbian (LGBT) communities have become permanently disabled. To cope with everyday living, these groups have been led by health educators to use illicit substances to treat their disorder.

Cancer victims represent the largest group discriminated against with more than 95 million American suffering from cancer radiation therapy unable to obtain medical marijuana during recovery.

The degradation of the healthcare industry in America has had a pronounced effect on survival, with patients forced to become homeless.

Perhaps the most ridiculous thing that happened to healthcare was the War on Drugs that initially was aimed at preventing citizens from the evils of two main drugs: cannabis and heroin, but it also applied to other illicit drugs such as LSD, MDA, and so forth. Cocaine, ketamine, GHB methamphetamine, and a laundry list of prescription and illicit psychostimulants were not even considered on June 17, 1971 when President Nixon marked his legacy with another grim reminder that the conservative base (aka the vast right wing conspiracy) seeks to divide our nation rather than unite it.

The public still doesn't realize just how much the government is a controlling part of healthcare, the chemicals that we breathe, and even the manufacturing of illicit drugs that are purchased from the streets, what senators like Hillary Clinton, Diane Feinstein, Barbara Boxer, Ben Cardin

Sherrod Brown, Robert Corker, Sheldon Whitehouse, Robert Casey, Jon Tester, Jim Webb, Bernie Sanders, Claire McCaskill, Amy Klobuchar, Barack Obama, Robert Menendez, Chuck Schumer, and all the others know about drugs is less than the chemists, drug dealers, pharmacologists, research physicians, and patient care physicians, and what these people know about drugs is practically nothing.

The truth is that no one that has ever breathed the air on this planet knows enough about chemical substances, because if they did, they probably would be more concerned about the toxicity in the air than about the side effects of substances that are consumed freely by members of society.

During the early days of the AIDS pandemic, public outcries for help went unheard in the Reagan White House. Many of those diagnosed with HIV/AIDS scrambled for answers that were slow to come from the pool of research that was being conducted by the government with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) monitoring and reporting the staggering numbers of AIDS-related mortality and morbidity. A lack of answers severed many with AIDS from the bond of a traditional physician-patient partnership. Using the resources of their peers, PWAs were discovering the benefits of self-medicating with illicit drugs such as cannabis and methamphetamine. The near-term benefits of cannabis became apparent for those recovering from AIDS-related and non-AIDS related cancer. For those self-medicating with crystal methamphetamine, many found it easier to cope with depression, fatigue, and mental anxiety. CMA brought about a sense of well-being to those who were sick, and gave users motivation. Overdosing on CMA in the near term created a sense of euphoria that led to isolation. In the long-term, many who had used doses in moderation were still living after 10 years or more with the disease. Meanwhile, physicians were losing ground. CMA became targeted as a catalyst causing the emergence of HIV. Proponents of CMA claim that those who use the drug -- or any illicit drug -- are risk takers who also engage in unsafe sex. However, opponents of CMA merely see that any individual who uses CMA will engage in risky behavior as a result of mental impairment.

In 2007, little more is known about the drug because all of the research has been blind-sighted, focusing on the negative side effects of the drug rather than on the benefits. Indeed, the war on drugs has enabled drug dealers and suppliers the opportunity to become more proficient with the drug than those members of the healthcare community that condemn the use of it. This has led to protocols which harm rather than help HIV/AIDS patients.

Finding Good Healthcare

The Internet has made it easy to find any type of service or product. A few hours of research can easily lead someone into making a sound decision on purchasing even the most complex electronics equipment they know nothing about. Plumbers, attorneys, tax accountants, and others are often rated for their performance. However, finding a healthcare provider (HCP) that meets the needs of the individual is remarkably difficult. Yes, there are plenty of online websites that list physicians along with their specialization, address, and reviews made by patients. Some charge for services and others are free. You can even "backdoor" your way into a site that typically charges by finding another website that provides free access.

The problem is that finding a good provider is a subjective task. Just when you think you've found someone you think you'll like, they don't take your insurance. You can always tell who the real good HCPs are because when you call to make an appointment, they aren't accepting new patients. So they refer you to someone else who refers you to someone else... until finally, you find yourself in the office of someone who doesn't meet up to your standards. The problem of finding really good healthcare is becoming an enormous problem. Part of the reason is that the medical profession isn't what it used to be. There was a time when just about any physician had to be good. There were more dedicated hard-working physicians who could resolve your medical problems right from primary care. Today, a primary care physician is likely to be a business major who went to medical school for the prestige. He or she will refer most of your medical complaints to various specialists, and still charge you an arm and a leg for a visit in which nothing was accomplished other than referrals.

It doesn't always help to heed the reviews of physicians because they might have different and very superficial reasons for liking or disliking an HCP that doesn't concern you. If you go to a doctor you don't like, it's not that easy to walk away. Healthcare insurance won't pay for you to interview physicians. Of course, the real test of finding good healthcare involves reading your medical records. HCPs can be gratifying to your ego, but when you review your MRs, they can block the door to your future with just a few words.

The best way to obtain good healthcare is to spend time at local hospitals talking to staff and patients. Network with friends and associates and get them to reveal who their physician is and if they like the physician, ask them in great detail why. Find out if they have seen their MRs, most patients aren't concerned with MRs, especially those who don't have chronic medical disorders. If a doctor is not accepting new patients, go on a waiting list. Push your way into the practice of a doctor who has a great reputation but doesn't have time for new patients.

In the future, it will more important for individuals to have a serious amount of medical knowledge. Until then, finding an honest and compassionate HCP is a job unto itself. Take the time to look for a physician that's worthy of your time. If you stumble on one that meets your needs adequately, don't let it slip through your fingers. Good doctors are hard to find.