Common Sense Health: Pity the overworked family doctor

By Dr. Gifford-Jones and Diana Gifford-Jones on November 8, 2024.

Everyone knows, or should know, about the many problems facing your overworked family doctor. In North America, it’s common knowledge that large numbers of individuals and families do not have one. They are a scarce healthcare commodity. Now, on top of the heavy workload these doctors carry, the pharmaceutical industry has placed another burdensome task. So, what is this problem?

It happens night after night. You hear the messy and worrying news from around the world. You begin to wonder why humans continue to destroy cities and cause so much needless human suffering. Then come the equally despairing commercials reminding you about all the things that can go wrong with your health – and all the pills that can fix these problems. This is big business, as every year without the sanction of the medical profession, the pharmaceutical industry makes billions and billions.

The commercials show ads about many common problems, such as skin rashes and upset stomachs. Some of these troubles require a doctor’s prescription and some an over-the-counter remedy. Many ads target diabetics with pills that control blood sugar, adding, “This drug isn’t indicated for weight loss; however, we have found that some patients lose weight.”

The ads show happy people playing with their dogs, leaping joyfully into a lake, which has nothing to do with the health issue. But you must give credit to the pharmaceutical industry. These ads are effective and make shareholders in their companies the happy and richer ones.

But here’s the rub for family doctors. To cover any legal or medical liability, these ads always include a standard message. Having delivered the good news that their medication will solve your problems, they state that you should consult with your doctor. It works well for these firms: they shift the medical liability for one, and the reference to the doctor as an authority adds a sense of endorsement of these products for another.

Now, we should ask what does your doctor really know about these products? In view of the large number of new drugs promoted on TV, your doctor may know absolutely zero. Moreover, with busy practices, and so many patients waiting, family doctors don’t have a lot of time to find out.

How much time do family doctors spend answering patients’ questions about all these drugs? The “ask your doctor” mantra from pharmaceutical companies must pose a major distraction from what these doctors would be doing otherwise in discussions with their patients.

Being a family doctor is not an easy task. This is not to suggest that it’s a walk in the park being a specialist. But, after several more years of medical training in one area of medicine or surgery, there are fewer and fewer surprises. Family doctors see every kind of issue one can imagine. And it’s simply not fair, nor a good idea, to expect them to have mastery across a huge range of medications for every kind of health problem.

If pharmaceutical companies want to speak directly to consumers about their products, let’s make it a worthwhile discussion. They should make their product information available in large print and enable patients to ask questions and get answers. They should be held to account when they over-embellish the benefits or hide side-effects of their products. And they should thank doctors for the time they must spend in building expertise.

But until that happens, you, the consumer, must beware. Remember, their goal is to sell a product, not to care one iota about your health. That’s the job of your family doctor.

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