Have I mentioned

[Momo]

"...Probably much cheaper and more efficient..."

yeah, for the drug rep!

I don't know how else busy specialists will get news.

Word!

DH ALWAYS brings home dessert for either me or the kiddos yummo!

[MarissaNicole]

Drugs are ~10% of the cost of healthcare. While I agree that some drugs are overpriced and you should always try to use an equally effective generic when possible, I think that there are greater efficiencies to be found in the system.

I'm biased though because I'm a consultant for the life sciences industry.

I would favor some form of tort reform combined with approaches to lower the cost of drugs so doctors can stop practicing defensive medicine and therefore bring down the costs that way. But I'm sure if I were a lawyer, I wouldn't support that.

I think everyone has to give some but it annoys me that people pin all of our healthcare woes on drug companies. The pharma companies have already made some concessions ($80 BB) and while I think they can do more, I haven't seen insurance companies give concessions yet.

Very interesting - things I definitely did not know! I never thought of it but I would rather have the money spent on doctor's then tv ads (I find them annoying).

As an attorney, I don't think we need tort reform (at least not an overhaul - I am in favor of the laws where in order to file a lawsuit against a doctor you have to have another doctor in that field file a report saying that the doctor breached the standard of care). While I do agree that there are plenty of scummy lawyers that sue innocent doctors, I found that when I worked in a med mal/PI firm, many of the injuries to patients were by the SAME doctors - something needs to be done about that. And although there has been tort reform in some states, insurance companies have NOT lowered their insurance premiums for doctors!

And in regards to your last point "I haven't seen insurance companies give concessions yet" - I COULDN'T AGREE MORE!

[alison]

Flourless chocolate cake. Yum.

[Rapunzel]

Not commenting on the drug rep thing (radiologists don't really benefit from them anyway).

BUT, Ruth Chris's steak house is soooooo good. We went there a few weeks ago and I had some halibut that was to die for. I'm not much of a steak person but the fish and the desert were just heavenly (I had the bread pudding).

Now my stomach is growling....

DH had journal club at Ruth's Chris last year. I guess Subway was closed that day.

[Vishenka69]

I'm still waiting for my dessert. Hopefully it'll get here by 10 or I'm going to bed.

DH says that the lectures are quite informative and last time they had some big shot who wrote a couple of textbooks talk about a new procedure. Drug reps aren't allowed in the hospital, so they can only reach docs after hours and nobody will come to the lecture without dinner or something else thrown in. I also don't think drug companies are allowed to do anything more than provide food these days.

[DCJenn]

Not even sticky notes or pens these days.

sucks because I'm running out.

J.

Maybe I can get you some Cerner swag.

[DCJenn]

I'm your girl. I'm really mad because I got a ton of condom swag at the national HIV conference when I went and some one recently stole my condom stickies.

I had HUNDREDS of condoms in my bags. It was hilarious. (we give out condoms and lube to everyone that crosses our path. and the HIV outreach guys give out thousands. I bet none of YOU share an office w/ boxes of flavored condoms and tiny bottles of lube)

J.

[Meenah]

I'll trade you some glucometers and inhalers!!!!!!!!!!!

DH had journal club at Ruth's Chris last year. I guess Subway was closed that day.

Ohhh S would be jealous of this!! haha