Monthly Archives: July 2015

AMA – Industry Link

Posted on

We have observed an exciting new trend.  Professional journals have started arriving with adverts glued to their covers.  First, the Academy of Dermatology’s flagship journal, the JAAD, recently touted Topicort Spray.  Now, the July 2015 issue of the the AMA’s journal JAMA Dermatology has its table of contents obscured by a cover ad for Cosentyx, a new biologic for psoriasis.  At ~ $44,000 per year per patient, if prescribed by one busy dermatologist, that might come close to the revenue the AMA gets for prominent placement  of this annoying drug promotion.  All one cay say is WTF!  We can’s wait to see the Direct To Consumer Advertisements on TV!! Cover … Continue reading →

Share

The Care of Patients

Posted on

More humanism and less science, that’s what medicine needs. But, humanism is hard work,and a lot of science is just Tinkertoy. Robertson Davies, The Cunning Man David J. Elpern, MD Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 2002;47:317-8. Author’s note (July 2015): I wrote this report based on an office study I did in 2000. Originally, it had a number of tables, but the editors truncated the paper, thus confirming the saying, “A camel is a horse designed by a committee.” Still, I often reminisce on the research’s findings: that almost all of our patients need our specialized knowledge and our comfort and caring, while only some require our technical … Continue reading →

Share

Academy-PhRMA Liason

Posted on

This flier came attached to the July issue of The Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.  Topicort Spray is hardly a unique product and it will run a patient ~ $600 for what appears to be a 60 ml bottle.  The business of PhRMA is business.  The business of a professional society should be knowledge and service. Sir Thomas Browne famously wrote:  No one should enter the Temple of Science with the soul of a money changer. The leaders of our professional societies should follow that precept. Also see AMA-Dermatology July 2015 cover. July 29, 2015:  Late Breaking! The Topicort rhino was seen today on two new publications. 1. … Continue reading →

Share

Meet Mr. Marsh

Posted on

To talk of disease is an Arabian nights experience. Osler David Elpern’s Book Review with Excerpts of: Do Not Harm by Henry Marsh You are invited to spend some time with Mr. Marsh, an eloquent neurosurgeon who escorts us into his operating theatre, his parent’s home as his mother lies dying, interminable maddening administrative meetings in his NHS hospital and to accompany him to Ukraine where he has volunteered as a surgeon for over 20 years. You’ll share his triumphs and suffer the sadness and humiliation of his mistakes and failures. His war stories are captivating; as are his anecdotes about his family, his education and his jousting with the … Continue reading →

Share

My Narrow Road Through Cyber-Medicine

Posted on

by David J. Elpern This essay is the basis of a talk delivered at the Jag Bhawan, M.D. Research Symposium held on July 6, 2015 at the Boston University School of Medicine. Abstract: Herein, I chronicle  a 25-year medical odyssey through the universe of personal and professional cyberspace. These explorations continue, but the author does not know the next ports-of-call;  He can only “hope the voyage is a long one,/full of adventure, full of discovery.” Keywords: cybermedicine, blogs, pathography, Cell 2 Soul, MedFlix, Pathography Blog, VGRD Word File:  My-Narrow-Road-Final PDF: The Narrow Road Through Cyber Medicine 7.15 PowerPoint: The Narrow Road – Jag Talk (this may take ~ 20 seconds … Continue reading →

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Share