I recall when urgent care offices proliferated and were often housed within pharmacy chains. This latter arrangement was symbiotic in that the pharmacy provided a convenient venue for patients who then purchased their new prescriptions in the pharmacy. And a patient entering the pharmacy for a medical visit is likely to make unrelated purchases while strolling the aisles. These sites are generally staffed by nurse practitioners (NPs). I have worked with these excellent professionals for many years now,. Beyond urgent care settings, NPs also work in hospitals and many other venues caring for patients with complex medical issues. When the urgent care option came onto the scene, there was stiff pushback from doctors who railed that the quality of care would be below par. “Nurse practitioners are not doctors,” they warned. My suspicion then was that doctors had unspoken concerns unrelated to medical quality. The reason that NP-directe...
MD Whistleblower presents vignettes and commentaries on the medical profession. We peek 'behind the medical curtain' and deliver candor and controversy in every post.