Australia is being menaced by managed care: We’d be foolish to ignore the warning signs
They say everything is bigger in America — cars, coffee cups, and, as I recently saw firsthand, corporate control over healthcare. The US health system…
Opinion
Unique doctor-written opinion and analysis
I’d rather deal with drunks and criminals than a bullying supervisor: My message to junior doctors
Not all that long ago, I watched a surgeon publicly dress down a young registrar for writing up a bag of magnesium for a post-op…
My patient demanded a 2am telehealth consult: She thought her request was reasonable
Over the years, I have seen how people expect doctors to remain reasonable no matter how unreasonable they themselves are. For example, a mother with a…
A win for patients or medicalising ‘normal’? Why I’m uneasy about GPs diagnosing ADHD
The recent announcement that NSW GPs will be allowed to diagnose and treat ADHD raises concerns for this old silver fox. Over the past few…
Hospital should be a last resort for elderly patients, not the default destination
The recent AusDoc article on elderly patients languishing in hospital beds without needing acute care inspired me to think about the changing roles of hospital…
Doctors are writing thousands of medicinal cannabis scripts for chronic pain, but is it a waste of time?
More Australians than ever are being prescribed medicinal cannabis. Medicinal cannabis refers to legally prescribed cannabis products. These are either the plant itself, or naturally…
Let’s talk about sex in general practice
I was walking down a shopping aisle when I spied a sign for ‘Period Care’. Haven’t we come a long way now, able to mention…
I like to think I’m getting better with age — my patients seem to agree
I am a late-career doctor. In fact, given the latest proposals by the Medical Board of Australia, I qualify twice: once for being over 70,…
Life as a bush kid: ‘When I woke up, I immediately checked my balls — whew, all okay’
Growing up in the far outback on a cattle station was different. I had eight years of Mum’s home schooling, supplemented with School of the…
Insulin, T-cell receptors and child-proof medicine bottles: Why Trump needs to keep his hands off Canada
My love affair with Canada began well before Canada’s sovereignty was threatened, or I had a Canadian son-in-law and an Australian-Canadian grandson and daughter. It began on…
