Valleywide Legal Blog

Medical Tourism – Almost Always A Bad Idea

As you can probably guess, medical tourism is the name given to the practice of going to a foreign country for medical treatment, usually because it is cheaper there.  One of the most common treatments sought by medical tourists is … Read More

Posted in antibiotic resistant bacteria, blood infections, Doctors, Health Care Costs, Medical Costs, Medical Devices, medical errors, meningitis, Pharmacies, Plastic Surgery, science news |

Doctors Who Steal

I have been writing lately about medical ethics, which are sometimes more ignored than followed.  The following are instances of doctors being greedy and trying to steal from insurance companies or from Medicare and Medicaid.  It doesn’t matter who you … Read More

Posted in Doctors, Fee for Service, Health Care Costs, Health Insurers, Medical Costs, medical ethics, Medicare, Pharmacies |

Our Broken Health Care Delivery System: Example 355

Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) are a major source of dysfunction in the distribution and pricing of prescription medications.  PBMs negotiate prices with drug manufacturers on behalf of insurance plans and determine what drugs go on the plans’ drug formularies, the … Read More

Posted in drug companies, Health Care Costs, Health Insurers, Medical Costs, Medicare, Pharmacies |

Beware The Medication Error

Medication errors are some of the most common preventable medical mistakes.  They occur in hospitals, doctor’s offices, pharmacies, and in the patient’s home.  The consequence of a medication error can range from insignificant to catastrophic injury to death.  Although a … Read More

Posted in Doctors, drug companies, Hospital Negligence, Hospitals, medical errors, Medical Malpractice, medical mistakes, Medication Errors, Nurses, Pharmacies, Pharmacy Malpractice |

Think Long And Hard Before Going To Mexico For Medical Treatment

I drive to San Diego from Phoenix a number of times a year.  As soon as I cross into Southern California on Interstate 8, I see billboard after billboard advertising low cost medical and dental care just across the border … Read More

Posted in antibiotic resistant bacteria, Arizona Medical Board, blood infections, Doctors, Fee for Service, Health Care Costs, Medical Costs, medical errors, medical ethics, medical mistakes, Pharmacies, Surgical Errors |

Medication Errors Are A Persistent Problem.

Medication errors can and do kill and injure patients in hospitals, outpatient clinics and as a result of doctor ordered prescriptions.  There are literally thousands of medications, which can be prescribed for patient use.  Many have confusing names.  Many have … Read More

Posted in Doctors, Hospitals, Lawsuits, medical errors, Medical Malpractice, medical mistakes, Medication Errors, Pharmacies, Pharmacy Malpractice |

Our Drug Development Model and Drug Supply Chain Are Broken.

One of the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic is that our drug development model and drug supply chain are broken.  Our western capitalist system has served us well for many years.  It provided products at a low price, which allowed … Read More

Posted in drug companies, Fraud, health, Health Care Costs, Lawsuits, Medical Costs, Medical Devices, Medicare, Pharmacies, Secrecy, Vaccines |

Why More Pharmacy Malpractice?

Last week I blogged about how to protect yourself from pharmacy malpractice and remarked that instances of pharmacy malpractice were increasing.  The current situation was discussed at length in a New York Times investigation. The days of the corner Mom … Read More

Posted in disclosure of medical mistakes, medical errors, Medication Errors, Pharmacies, Pharmacy Malpractice, Secrecy |

Malpractice at the Pharmacy

We don’t normally think of danger or risk when we go to have a prescription filled at our local pharmacy.  Maybe that should change.  For a number of reasons, the risk of a misfilled prescription is increasing. There are lots … Read More

Posted in Medication Errors, Pharmacies, Pharmacy Malpractice |

Happy New Year – Big Pharma Is Raising Drug Prices Again And People Are Dying As A Result.

The price of drugs has been going up and up for the last 20 years as the big drug companies have raised prices over and over again for no reason other than a desire for record profits.  No one in … Read More

Posted in drug companies, General Health, Health Care Costs, Health Insurers, healthy living, Medical Costs, medical ethics, Pharmacies, Rationing |