Policies regarding public health affect our lives as closely as the other three topics we had discussed in this class.
One of the main problems regarding public health is antibiotic resistances in human. Antibiotic is widely used around to world to attack common infections found in humans and animals. These antibiotics, when taken correctly, get rid of the specific infections; however, this is usually not the case. People either do not finish the complete supplement or take a few to immediately combat the infections/diseases. With this in mind, the problem is that these bacteria in our bodies will be weakened and not completely killed off. This will give a chance for them to rejuvenate and evolve to attack again. Another way humans obtain other antibiotics in their bodies is through the consumption of farm animals. They are sometimes treated with antibiotic that have no effects in human bodies but can affect the bacteria found inside our bodies.
Another problem relates to the scarcity of primary care doctors which correlates to expensive primary care. Many of our peers or colleagues have a desire to be a doctor and often tend to choose become a specialist either for interest or money. The reason doesn’t matter, but it’s the fact that very few goes into primary care and this is what we need more of in order to take care of the United States population. The raise of primary care also causes health care to be really expensive and hard to acquire for residents in the United States. It’s worse for people who are too rich to be considered to be poor to acquire health care services to help.
Last problem relates to the country’s slow but steady acceptance of marijuana. It has been created legal in several states over the past half of a decade. While it has held the title of either the most commonly used illicit drug or for medicinal uses, it always held a bad connotation. In comparison to alcohol consumption, marijuana is said to be less lethal in many sources; of course, it also depend on the users. The drug is so commonly used that over 45% of the people in the United States have used it before with a certain percentage continue to be frequent users. With the legalization, the sales can be taxed and put towards medical care for either homeless or poor families.
The problem of antibiotic resistance is impossible to tackle, but the others can be simplified. We already have a ton of students in the medical field hoping to become doctors. We should raise the amount of incentive for those who want to pursue a career in the primary care rather than specialization in some fields. Alter the wage differences between specialization and primary care; show that there is the same amount of importance in both sides. One innovative way to also incorporate more people into primary care is to show them the effects they provide with every patient they care. Show them the pathos aspect of the field and let them understand the satisfaction when saving lives. With the abundance of primary care doctors, we will have reduced health care costs for those who do not qualify.
You pose three very important points about the health issues in your post. I like your description of the lack of primary care physicians and its consequences. Without a right number of primary care doctors we keep New Yorkers from receiving the right care they need and we rely on specialist physicians too often on problems that can be solved by our primary care physicians. I agree when you say that many students choose not to enter primary care because of the salary that comes with being a specialist. This is upsetting because it shows that many people entering the medical field care less for the general public’s health, and more for the monetary advantages that come with becoming a doctor.
The legalization of cannabis would provide the city with another source of economic prosperity. I would add that as well as being safer than alcohol or other substances, marijuana has medicinal purposes that are important as well. Because it is an appetite stimulator and an antiemetic, cannabis is helpful for cancer patients undergoing chemo and HIV patients. Legalizing weed can aid people after chemo in treating nausea and vomiting. It can stimulate the appetites of the sick and help AIDs patients in recovering from illness. Therefore, not only is marijuana generally deemed safe, but it is important for medical patients recovery as well.
I agree that the shortage of primary care physician is a problem, but I believe it is not fair to alter the wages of primary care physicians simply because there is a shortage. It is right for specialists to have higher salaries because they put more time in studying and are “specialized” in a specific medical field. Therefore, if we do implement change in the wages of primary care doctors, it will surely lead to problems with the specialized doctors. Instead of changing wages, it will be more helpful to encourage medical students to pursue career as a primary care physicians. As you stated, by issuing the importance of primary care, more people will be encouraged to be a PCP.
In regards to legalizing marijuana, I think this is an already progressing problem that will soon take effect. I agree that legalizing and putting tax on marijuana will definitely be helpful in the medical field. Also, I believe people should be better educated in the effects of marijuana so that they do not solely trust the bad connotations.