Comments on: But you cannot sue the regulators [The FDA are unreliable wimps]

By: pukeko

Sun, 22 Jun 2014 18:33:56 +0000

Most medicines are paid for by the state as part of the health budget with a five dollar part charge to the patient regard less of the real costs.

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By: Wiless

Sun, 22 Jun 2014 13:13:00 +0000

Fund in what capacity? Not sure I follow.

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By: chrisgale

Sun, 22 Jun 2014 07:24:00 +0000

Well, I am on google scholar. Most recent published stuff is on patients assaulting staff and legal highs.

http://scholar.google.co.nz/citations?user=klB8oNwAAAAJ&hl=en

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By: chrisgale

Sun, 22 Jun 2014 07:22:00 +0000

Yes. But the government does not fund branded medications if there is a generic available.

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By: pukeko

Fri, 20 Jun 2014 21:14:36 +0000

It is, but government funding is very restricted

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By: Wiless

Fri, 20 Jun 2014 14:36:00 +0000

IIRC, New Zealand is the only other country other than America which has prescription pharma advertising on TV permitted.

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By: Bike Bubba

Fri, 20 Jun 2014 14:09:00 +0000

I think I’m following you–when someone drops out of life, especially a man, watch out, and the converse would be that even a dumb quality engineer like myself can lend some tiny help by checking in with people, whether or not I’ve got the skill of determining whether someone is actually dropping out. And I’d guess about the same for orderliness (“Ordnung!”) in a society.

And of course I wouldn’t want to put you out of a job, so when you publish something interesting and get paid for it, I’ll be eager to see what you’re up to. Even if I don’t totally get it. :^)

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By: chrisgale

Thu, 19 Jun 2014 20:36:00 +0000

You are quite right, that was a good morning and only one cup of coffee reply. The suciide rate is not one of my research interests, but I know those who do this in NZ.

The issue is very political down here as well, with a few nasty issues around unavailabilty of MH services. Responding to the international rates is actually and academic paper, but the one hint from the NZ research is that the issue is not necessarily untreated depression alone. Among men, the issues relate to disengagement. Look for increased sucide rate with unemployemnt (Demonstrated back in the 1980s in scotland during Thacther’s time) and alienation from the larger society.

And in the USA, look at PTSD. One colleage was a military psychiatrist and left the VA because after every war the suicide rate in veterans is sky high for 10 years.

A final hint before I have to go to work: the rates (annual prevalence) of anxiety and depression combined in tEnglish speaking coutnries is around 15% and it is more like 7% in Germany &c using the same instrument.

A fuller answer would need to be a medical hypothesis, and my employer would want me to publish that

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By: Bike Bubba

Thu, 19 Jun 2014 20:09:00 +0000

Agreed on the regulations. BTW, I’m looking up the overall stats–NZ is close to the U.S., really–and any idea what’s led to some pretty huge drops in Switzerland and Sweden, while Norway’s rate skyrocketed? Just ran a p test and the shifts appear to indicate something happened.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_in_the_United_States#mediaviewer/File:Suicide-deaths-per-100000-trend.jpg

And I’m guessing it would take a little more “doing” than just a quick “good morning” answer like you’ve just provided, but sometime I’d love to see your thoughts on what family members can do for the depressed. I’ll look through your site, too, in case you’ve already addressed this.

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By: chrisgale

Thu, 19 Jun 2014 19:57:00 +0000

True. Do not start me on PHARMAC — we have a monopoly drug purchasing agency, whose job is keeping the drug costs down and nothing else.

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