I now know why antivirals can be a tough medicine to take
For those of us of a certain age, ocean cruises are a wonderful if not dangerous way to travel. My wife and I like cruising,…
Medical Observer
Unique doctor-written opinion and analysis
Was I fit to drop? My obsession with endurance exercise terminated with a CACS of 1606
When it comes to exercise, it’s possible to get too much of a good thing. The kind of detrimental excess endurance exercise I’m going to…
Pollies vs science: Senate’s excess deaths inquiry is an ideologically driven waste of time
As some of you following the news may know, the Australian Senate is currently holding an inquiry into excess mortality. It sounds important and you…
I value my health, which is why I always wear a P2 mask when crossing busy roads
John is a 66-year-old who has worked with diesel vehicles most of his life. He has never been a smoker and exercises regularly. His brother…
I’ve seen the harms caused when doctors treat their own
I started my career as a rural proceduralist, and it was one of my mentors back then who informed me that, if you don’t treat…
From catastrophe to farce, it’s just another routine day in general practice
Nothing beats the variety of general practice. In a single day, one may be confronted by presentations ranging from the most catastrophic to the frankly…
Pharmacist prescribing will push us into the healthcare crisis I witnessed in the UK
After seven years working as a GP in Scotland, I joined many thousands of GPs fleeing the UK’s struggling health system. I came to Australia,…
Is it ever okay to give patient information to police without a warrant?
When approached by police for information about a patient, doctors need to consider their privacy obligations and determine whether they are obliged or permitted to…
I’m tired of dealing with the lunatic conspiracies of some patients
My daughter was feeling defeated recently after realising that her four-year-old son, who came home from kindergarten talking about nothing but farts and poo, was…
Medicine will soon be considered too important to be left to doctors
We practise not in a cocoon but in a melange (swamp?) of law, regulation and ethics. They are not separate entities but are intertwined like…
