The rush in conservative states to ban abortion after the overturn of Roe versus Wade it’s translating into a surprising consequence that abortion opponents may not have considered: fewer medical services available to all women living in those states. Doctors are proving, through their words and actions, that they are reluctant to practice in places where making the best decision for a patient could result in huge fines or even a prison sentence. And when clinics that provide abortions close their doors, they also close all other services they offer,…
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Shortages of “life-threatening” cancer drugs forced Kansas doctors to ration drugs
First, their shipments of carboplatin typically used to treat breast, ovarian and many other cancers have been delayed. They were able to switch some patients to cisplatin, another platinum-based drug that is just as effective but may have more side effects. Hence, their cisplatin shipments stopped arriving on time. To hold dwindling supplies longer, doctors have begun rounding patient doses up to 10 percent within professional guidelines and have begun preparing for the need to take more drastic action if shortages persist. It’s part of a nationwide shortage of more…
Read MoreUS doctors forced to ration as cancer drug shortages hit nationwide
Toni Dezomits had to change her ovarian cancer treatment plan due to a shortage of chemotherapy drugs Toni Dezomits, a 55-year-old retired law enforcement officer, is battling a recurrence of her stage 4 ovarian cancer. She had already undergone several rounds of chemotherapy when her doctor told her he had more bad news. Just a day before her third round of treatment last month, Ms. Dezomits was told there was a nationwide shortage of the generic chemotherapy drug, carboplatin, one of three drugs she was due to receive. Forced to…
Read MoreLet Texas doctors provide crucial emergency care
Physician organizations warn that pregnant patients will suffer and potentially die, or experience life-long complications, if the US 5th Circuit Court of Appeals does not overturn a preliminary injunction preventing doctors from providing emergency care for abortion when they deem it medically necessary to stabilize a patient. In the wake of Dobbs decision last year, the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas issued preliminary injunction to temporarily block the federal government’s guidance that the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) protects doctors and others health…
Read MoreOntario’s shortage of family doctors is putting lives at risk
A new study by the Ontario College of Family Physicians has found that 2.2 million of the 14 million residents of Canada’s largest and wealthiest province do not have a family doctor. The finding is a major indictment of the for-profit or paid model that is now being promoted as Ontario’s go-to model for surgeries by the province’s Conservative government. “The number of unassigned patients is growing across the province and region,” says Steve Gray, managing director of Medical Associates of Port Perry. “The Medical Associates wait list has never…
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