On Feb 12, 2009, at 1:54 AM, David Cake wrote: > In most Australian states it is the same. It makes them > potentially useful in large hospital departments for starters, and > many GPs work in largish multi-doctor practices, into which nurse > practitioners can fit fairly comfortably and see those with routine > complaints.
I think we are agreeing here. They are potentially useful in many situations but not actually used very often. Like many people I have mild hypertension which is easily controllable with common drugs. I monitor my blood pressure and my medical regime has been stable for years. I obviously could be served by a nurse practitioner but I am not. In fact it is hard to find a GP who is willing to handle my situation. I end up going to an internist. The drugs I take are not subject to abuse. They used to be expensive but they have become generic now. I have highly subsidized medical care so it is not a personal financial issue with me[1]. It is just wasteful though. there is no reason that they are not sold over the counter except that the physicians like the easy money of subscription renewal. > In Australia, GPs are not particularly well paid, certainly > not compared to lawyers. In the US physicians services exhibit the famous backward sloping supply curve. When their rates go up their hours worked go down because they can sustain fairly lavish life styles while working fewer hours. Lawyers are famously hard working. [1] I live near enough to the Mexican border that people here who are not wealthy can still get good health care. That option isn't available to most Americans. --- Neither a man nor a crowd nor a nation can be trusted to act humanely or to think sanely under the influence of a great fear. -Bertrand Russell, philosopher, mathematician, author, Nobel laureate (1872-1970) _______________________________________________ OSX-Nutters mailing list | [email protected] http://lists.tit-wank.com/mailman/listinfo/osx-nutters List hosted at http://cat5.org/
