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Fox News Medical Contributor Dr. Marc Siegel and Fox News Psychiatry Contributor Dr. Keith Ablow charge doctors and pharmacies with producing a pill-h...
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Well the death of superstar Whitney Houston has once again put a spotlight on Hollywood doctors who cater to celebrities should physicians who give medications to people with a history of addiction be liable -- their patience die from the drugs.
And are Americans in general forget the celebrities arrested is are we too quick to ask for pills when where and some pain we feel sad.
Joining me now is professor medicine NYU -- medical center and Fox's contributor doctor Marc Siegel.
And psychiatrist and Fox News contributor doctor -- to have low and gentlemen.
Let's let's start with you doctor -- on this business about.
There's a -- society.
-- were -- happy well I think that we've gone you know wholesale fashion in that direction psychiatry much toward detriment.
Ability to reason with people to get to the bottom of their life stories.
Is it dying art.
We need to resurrect it certainly there pills are incredibly powerful looking into anxiety medicines antidepressants.
Pain medicines they have their place.
But we have to quickly of -- and -- empathy.
As a mode of healing someone needed to get to the bottom in Whitney Houston's life what's wrong.
Why would you wanna medicate yourself and and that's the tell yourself it's always because -- emotional pain and undersea -- One of our producers here was soft touch anybody when India to back into the doctors don't we give some -- He's known and -- -- about all of that is something else we can do here first our doctors.
Too easy to prescribe a pill.
I mean absolutely time to continuing the theme -- -- started here which is it's about the doctor patient relationship.
It's not about prescribing pills enabling people.
You gotta be able answer the question why are you giving that -- I mean if someone's medicine cabinet has -- it adamant.
You know Valium.
Xanax three different sedatives I would ask -- about why you need three different sedatives when they almost do the identical thing what about one what about non.
Painkillers you talk about painkillers 70% of the painkillers in this country and that being taken by.
Different people than the ones they were prescribed for boy that's out of control 400%.
Increase of of accidental.
Problems with prescription drugs over the past.
Decade 400% -- it's the number one cause of accidental -- up accidental deaths in the United States number one cause of death.
Is prescription drugs not even motor vehicle accidents anymore.
This is this is the problem is that is it it's growing so rapidly this whole business but we talked about this on the radio show and we got a call from William and Rocky Mount Virginia he's -- anesthesia nurse.
He -- doctors are too quick to dispense pills and patients are two -- to take them William is our follower of the week.
You -- -- there's there's.
So optional ideology below norm -- boundaries.
There are people are supposed to have been corporate.
You're never support the predict breast -- that much that that -- seem to need to push European.
-- doctor -- -- I mean.
If my cat dies it's okay to be sad isn't well listen here's the thing their.
No question we -- powerful.
Powerful armament -- him to deploy however.
Right now the American Psychiatric Association is about to release the DSM five our diagnostic manual they've added grief.
As an illness.
You've got the professional association and the -- that is part of the region you -- it's insanity what is it let me tell you what it really is it's partially out.
The field of human emotion as dis orders so you can build.
For treatment for it and match -- to a medicine.
Because that's how doctors sadly some doctors want to get paid Sally how big of a problem is is in the doctor community.
Huge and to add to what that to keep the -- on my side of the fence there's pay.
You know pain as something that's supposed to be connected to an operation begun operation got pain afterwards you break and we've got pain afterwards.
But we love this expression chronic pain.
And everybody has chronic pain Tom in the go to a doctor in the getting medications.
You know what those medications are addictive.
The more you take of the open it's who the narcotics the -- you -- the -- of them and this whole business -- that grow up around the overuse of narcotics.
Well -- they now with last I don't how many years has been now five years something like that where they've allowed prescription drug to be advertised.
And then I get some doctors are called the radio show and there were not happy with me but my point is you know.
I thought you doctors were supposed to be kind of big gate keepers and who will -- Who had never been to medical school to come in and tell you what prescription ninety's listen the vast.
Majority I think doctors see I don't with a calm market darkest you as -- -- but -- but in any case -- The vast majority of doctors do a good job at this and it's tough because people have been trained -- ask for immediate relief.
So if you say to them now look I really wanna get to the bottom of this with you and -- mask the pain we're going to be that much further behind.
You have sort of a hostile audience for that.
It's DL liars who -- most at risk to do this and now unfortunately organized medicine can you imagine.
Not only grief.
Being classified as an honest but shyness they want to caution highness -- disorder boy I don't know how the president the American Psychiatric Association goes to work anymore.
What do you do when you getting together as a comedian inventing new disorders here's the other.
Here's -- -- problem when when medicine was you guys were bunch of small business people you had to shop and you had entered your home your license out there.
Now it's it's -- medicine and I had an ER doc called a radio show and she was telling me.
That they now have patient satisfaction rankings and their jobs are in jeopardy so upon the patient and I come in and you don't get me what I want.
On the right you -- doctor and you're going to be in trouble.
Well that's part of the problem but the other part is that the rules are too lax.
I think we doctors have too many choices I don't think there's enough restrictions -- you know I'm not a big fan of -- Texas regulations time you know that I sit on the show before but in this case.
Doctor should know that they can't get away with doing this -- what allow pharmacies there's a single pharmacy in Beverly Hills here.
That's been prescribing for celebrities all of these things without necessarily checking enough.
I think that pharmacies have to be held accountable to.
What we got into this what the audiences whole business about big brother and liberty and about having.
A record so that if I -- to you do get a medicine.
And I thought you're now you're gonna coming off for May be wants a moral go to you and -- doctor shopping until in the pharmacies.
Stayed in some cases they have databases that will know so you can tell you that I'm getting that is the same medicine conduct.
Receipt which is tremendously important right but ultimately ultimately you have to be -- good doc.
Right because people aren't necessarily the best arbiters of what they -- that's what they're coming here for actually -- you gotta be able to say okay look.
We will will take care this pain for well for you.
But you've got to tell me what's going on in your life.
Right that's the connection that we need to make and you won't find me arguing with insurance company is on -- phone you know why I don't take insurance I couldn't take it anymore.
I don't want to be told -- -- practice I'm in Massachusetts where Romney care is it it's no better than.
And it was before or worse -- -- going in the wrong to rest direction in this regard.
Away from what.
The principles that -- -- is talking about.
But I got to tell you -- there's nothing more gratifying they wanna look when one of us sits there and figures out the solution to a problem that a patient is having.
Without medication.
Yet and I like it do to pick up.
Thank you I'm gonna give you a little to you I do to solve that problem out the rest of America -- they -- doctor -- and -- thank you guys thank you very much a camera.
