#medical & healthcare industry

[inkskinned]

you have to go to work so you can pay for your doctor, who is not taking your insurance right now, and if you say i can't afford the doctor's you are told - get a better job. it is very sad that you are unwell, yes, but maybe you should have thought about that before not having a better job.

(where is the better job? who is giving out these better jobs? you are sick, you are hurting - how the hell are you supposed to be well enough for this better job?)

but you go to the doctor because you had the nerve to be hurt or sick or whatever else. and they tell you that it is because you have anxiety. you try your best. you are a self-advocate. you've done the reading (which sometimes pisses them off worse, honestly). you say it is actually adding to my anxiety, it is effecting my quality of life. so they say that you are fat. they say that all young people have this happen to them, isn't it a medical marvel! they say that you should eat more vegetables. they say that you probably just need to lose a little more weight, and that you are faking it for attention.

(what attention could this doctor possibly give? what validation? that's their fucking job, isn't it?)

there is always a hypochondriac, right. someone always tells you about a hypochondriac. or someone who is unnecessarily aggressive during the worst days of their life. or someone looking "for a quick fix". or some idiot who wasn't educated about how to properly care for themselves who just abandons their treatment. and again, the hypochondriac, the overly-cautious hysteric. these people don't deserve to be treated like humans (right), and since you might be one of these people, you also don't get treated like a human. because those people can really fuck with the system, you now have to pay for it. and besides. you're actually probably faking it.

(more often than not, you find a 2:1 ratio of these stories. for every "hypochondriac", there are 2 people who knew something was wrong, and yet nobody could fucking find it. the story often ends with pointless suffering. the story often ends with and now it's too late, and it's going to kill me.)

you are actually just making excuses. someone else got that procedure or that diagnosis and he's fine, you should be fine too. someone else said they watched a documentary about other inspirational people with your exact same condition, maybe you should be inspirational, too. you're just too morbid. your pain and your experience is probably just not statistically concerning. it is all self-reported anyway, and you're just being a baby.

(once, while sitting down in the middle of making coffee, you had the sudden, horrible thought - i could kill myself to make the pain stop. you had to call your best friend after that. had to pet your dog. had to cry about it in the shower. you won't, but that moment - god, fuck. the pain just goes on and on.)

you know someone who went in for routine surgery and said i still feel everything. they told her to just relax. it took her kicking and screaming before they figured out she wasn't lying - the anesthetic drip hadn't been working. you know someone who went in for severe migraines who was told drink water and lose weight. you know someone who was actively bleeding out and throwing up in the ER and was told you're just having a bad period.

in the ER there are always these little posters saying things like "don't wait! get checked today!" and you think about how often you do wait. how often the days spool out. you once waited a full week before seeing the doctor for what you thought was a sprained wrist. it had actually been broken - they had to rebreak it to set it.

but you go into the doctor. the problem you're having is immediate. the person behind the counter frowns and says we're not taking your insurance. you will be paying for this out-of-pocket.

they send you home with tylenol and a little health packet about weight loss or anxiety or attention deficit. on the front it has your birthday and diagnosis. you think about crying, and the words swim. it might as well say go fuck yourself. it might as well say you're a fucking idiot. it might as well say light your money on fire and lie down in it. and the entire fucking time - the problem persists.

it's okay. it's okay, it's just another thing, you think. it's just another thing i have to learn to live with.

[stuckinapril]

I’ll be a doctor one day and all the pharmaceutical reps will be waiting in the lobby for hours begging for a chance to speak with me to push their samples to patients and I’ll have pharmaceutical companies buying free lunch for my employees every day just so they can sit w me at lunch and speak to me and I’ll also have a housewife/husband but instead it’ll be an office wife/husband and they’ll run the managerial aspects of my hospital for me . Among other things

[phoenixyfriend]

Watching a youtube video and some well-intentioned Brits are saying "I know the US has an entirely privatized healthcare system, but what do people do if there's an emergency? Like for dental work? Obviously there should be a--" No, honey. There isn't. If you can't afford dental, you just don't get dental work done. The closest is like… ACA/Medicaid insurance and that's it.

"I'm very much hoping that they don't just turn people away" they do

They did find "it looks like people can get help but they're landed with a big bill that has massive debt or tax implications"

Which like. Yeah. Medical debt is a fact of life in the US.

They are aware of their privilege, but even trying to account for it they need the internet's help to realize it's just. Debt or Death.

[oatmilk-vampire]

How it feels when my professor uses me as a good example in front of the whole class

[autumn2may]

Johnson & Johnson is currently, like right this minute, trying to extend their patent on the TB drug bedaquiline, keeping it out of generic for another four years. TB killed about 30,000 people last week and is the world's deadliest infectious disease.

If this drug does not go generic now it could affect 6 million people in the next four years (the time it would take the "new" patent to run out). Out of those millions of people who get TB, but can't get bedaquiline, most of them will die. From a PREVENTABLE DISEASE.

Why is this happening? Money. But also, because TB is not an issue in countries like the US. We can afford its $1.50 a pill price. But if you live in a poor country, that's too much money to spend on something you need to take for up to four months.

J&J needs to let this drug go public and do its job in places that can't currently afford it. They need to help people, instead of trying to wring the last few drops of money out of one of their many products, at the cost of human lives. @sizzlingsandwichperfection-blog does a waaaay better job of explaining this than me. Check out the video and the video description for links and ways to help!

[salamanderinspace]

When I was younger the problem in healthcare was the typical - doctors don't listen, don't believe me, don't take my pain seriously. Nowadays, though, I feel they are trained to overcompensate for this, which means that the system is completely broken in the other direction: they demand tests and specialist visits instead of simply prescribing medication. My levothyroxine is now paywalled behind $1000 worth of tests for unrelated and untreatable problems, because a doctor won't help me unless I have these unnecessary procedures.

[science-lover33]

Pharmacology Unveiled: How Medications Work on a Molecular Level"

Explore the science of pharmacology and delve into the mechanisms of action of commonly prescribed medications, shedding light on how they interact with the body's systems.

In the multifaceted domain of pharmacology, an intricate symphony of molecular interactions orchestrates the therapeutic effects of medications. A profound comprehension of the molecular underpinnings of pharmacological actions is indispensable for healthcare professionals, pharmaceutical scientists, and researchers. In this discourse, we embark on a comprehensive exploration of pharmacodynamics, elucidating the profound intricacies of how medications function at the molecular level.

Pharmacodynamics: A Multilayered Discipline

Pharmacodynamics constitutes the extensive scrutiny of the manner in which drugs interlace with specific molecular targets, often referred to as receptors or enzymes, within the human organism. Medications are meticulously designed to effectuate alterations in biochemical pathways, receptor kinetics, or enzymatic processes, aiming to modulate physiological phenomena to alleviate symptoms or remediate pathological states.

Receptor-Mediated Pharmacological Actions

A pivotal facet of pharmacodynamics lies in the receptor-mediated actions of medications. Receptors are intricate protein entities, frequently situated on the extracellular or intracellular domains of cells, that play a pivotal role in cellular communication and homeostasis. When a medication interfaces with a receptor, it initiates a cascade of molecular events, which, contingent upon the context, may potentiate or impede the cellular response.

Agonists and Antagonists: Puppets of Molecular Dance

In the intricate theater of pharmacodynamics, medications assume roles as either agonists or antagonists. Agonists aptly mimic the endogenous ligands or signaling molecules, seamlessly integrating into the receptor's binding pocket. This engagement sets forth a conformational alteration in the receptor, instigating cellular events replicating or augmenting the physiological response. Conversely, antagonists function as molecular antagonists, obstructing the receptor and forestalling the binding of endogenous signaling molecules. Consequently, the physiological response is negated or attenuated.

Enzymatic Interference: Orchestrating Biochemical Concertos

Certain medications orchestrate their therapeutic influence through the intricate domain of enzyme inhibition. Enzymes are the catalytic workhorses governing biochemical transformations in biological systems. Medications that selectively inhibit or modulate these enzymes effectively regulate the pace or character of these metabolic reactions, rendering them invaluable in conditions characterized by aberrant enzyme function.

Ion Channel Choreography: Modulating Electrophysiological Ballets

A notable mechanism of pharmacological action entails the modulation of ion channels. These proteinaceous conduits, reposing within cellular membranes, govern the flux of ions across these barriers. Medications designed to engage with ion channels effectively influence the electrochemical signaling within cells. The modulation of ion channels is instrumental in conditions such as arrhythmias, epilepsy, and neuropathic pain.

Pharmacogenetics: Personalizing Medication Regimens

The burgeoning realm of pharmacogenetics delves into the impact of an individual's genetic repertoire on their medication response. Genetic polymorphisms can significantly influence drug metabolism, receptor sensitivities, and pharmacological efficacy. Tailoring medication regimens to align with an individual's genetic makeup represents a burgeoning paradigm in personalized medicine.

Pharmacology unfolds as an intricate tapestry of molecular engagements and multifarious mechanisms. Medications, hewn with precision, are intended to engage with specific molecular entities, be it receptors, enzymes, or ion channels, aiming to modulate intricate biochemical processes to achieve therapeutic ends.

References

Rang, H. P., Dale, M. M., Ritter, J. M., & Flower, R. J. (2015). Rang & Dale's Pharmacology. Elsevier.

Katzung, B. G., & Trevor, A. J. (2021). Basic & Clinical Pharmacology. McGraw-Hill Education

Brunton, L. L., Knollmann, B. C., & Hilal-Dandan, R. (2020). Goodman & Gilman's: The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics. McGraw-Hill Education.

[spacedocmom]

Doctor Beverly Crusher @SpaceDocMom In my era, we address pain respectfully so we don't train patients to have to lie about their pain in order to get treated. It's appalling that so many in your era need to know when to overstate and when to understate their pain just to get basic care. emojis: black heart, blue heart, masked 2:25 PM · Mar 17, 2024

[benjaminallhope-fulltimemind]

This isn't surprising not one bit, Texas has archaic abortion laws and will real what they've showed much to suffering and death of many women. This will obviously affect the health sector in Texas and strain health services for women who may need to leave the state to receive medical treatment or even a simple gynecology exam. Republicans never cared about women nor the fetus as it was always about control, this patriarchy 101 and anyone with a working brain and empathy can understand that. Men never have to fear having our bodily autonomy from being taken away, well until Republicans start mandating men and women breed resulting in the LGBTQIA+ community being seen as 'unproductive' but hey that's later on the Republican agenda. For now we can still fix this mess, we will not and must not settle for anything less than abortion being enshrined in our constitution.

[kylo-wrecked]

it's a first world, after all

a rant

These IOS/Mac system updates are tacky and, dare I say, counterintuitive for users but Great for The Apple Company.

Pixlr arbitrarily reChristening their basic photo editor tool (Pixlr Express) the "Free Online AI Photo Editor" is tacky and misleading even coming from an e-commerce/SEO """"POV""""

marketing jargon these days, my guys:

'CTC is the new DTC'

no:

DTC (direct-to-consumer) marketing cut 'the middle man' out of the purchase experience during a time (2020 hmm) when people were freaking out and wrested by a scarcity mentality

CTC (consumer-to-consumer) is an insidious ploy in which companies infiltrate online communities with bots and 'interns' to SELL YOU SHIT on Reddit, TikTok, X, and Instagram, THE advertising platform.

TL;DR I hate this new era of 'the internet,' and I will not do this work even if it buys me food. I’ll go back to stamping groceries.

[alwaysbewoke]

[dangraccoon]

ugh.

I'm sorry I've been so absent. I'm really trying to post more for you all.

more info under the cut

i think ive mentioned that i have various health issues and conditions before

the big ones affecting me right now are seasonal affective disorder, fribromyalgia/chronic pain syndrome, and plantar fasciitis in both feet and on top of all that, i am currently transitioning.

theres a lot of financial strain on me at the moment; my fiance's income is the only one we have. i'm too disabled to work a regular job but not disabled enough to receive disability income. thanks america. but yeah i owe over $1400 to various medical offices in addition to the ongoing copays for my various meds (a month's worth of t is $60), thanks america, AND i'm about to turn 26 next month, after which i will no longer be able to be on my parents' health insurance, thanks america.

all that to say that if i continue to be somewhat absent I'm very sorry

[focusedmarketinsights]

The Europe Nitrile Medical Gloves market, which was valued at $2.39 billion in 2022, is projected to reach $4.19 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 9.83%. This growth is propelled by the high number of surgeries and healthcare treatments covered by insurance schemes, prompting a surge in the use of healthcare resources like medical gloves. The European market is witnessing a significant shift from latex to nitrile gloves due to high incidences of latex allergies.

[camembertlythere]

It should be illegal and actionable for a pharmacy app to say they're open til 6 and then close at fucking 5 o'clock on a fucking Saturday what the fuck

[spacedocmom]

Doctor Beverly Crusher @SpaceDocMom Doctors have stressful jobs, but it is never acceptable to take out workplace stress on patients. emojis: black heart, blue heart, masked 3:33 PM · Jan 28, 2024

[girderednerve]

at least m*sha c*llins had to come out as straight again, thank god something funny is going on

i'm very upset about this revelation, which is an emotional response for which i have no particular justification. why would my conservative employer in my shitty state want to cover gender affirming care? why am i surprised? did i miss some kind of law about all this? i guess it's kind of funny that they call it 'gender affirming care,' like they're carefully using inclusive language while they tell me to go fuck myself, so points there? these plans do include coverage for behavioral health treatment for gender identity disorders & i am not sure what to make of that, feels ominous in context. do you think they'd cover off-label T for low libido, it is after all "recognized through peer-reviewed medical literature." lmao.

i live in florida, which seems like an increasingly bad call. i looked at both of my healthcare options, since i am going to have the opportunity to purchase employer-provided health insurance in the near future, & there is an explicit carve-out under "general plan exclusions" in both plans for "gender affirming care," such that neither plan covers "any treatment, drug, or service related to changing sex or sexual characteristics. examples of these are: surgical procedures to alter the appearance or function of the body; hormones and hormone therapy." they also don't cover abortion except under extremely narrow circumstances; surely related.