6 ms·

Perhaps now we can start to allow patients to treat themselves? why should I need a doctor's permission to but insulin I know for a fact I need to live?

ceejayoz 7y ago
> Perhaps now we can start to allow patients to treat themselves? You already can. You're welcome to self-administer tylenol, bandage a wound, etc. When you start getting into more complicated conditions, we like to have a professional in the mix, as laypeople have a tendency to do things like want antibiotics for a cold, essential oils for cancer, and think vaccines cause autism.
- yeahitslikethat 7y ago
  Insulin is not an antibiotic. You're straw manning. There are conditions patients have that, due to years with it, they know more about than the doctors and people should not be beholden to another by law to obtain the medicines they know they need to live. It's wrong. I need a doctor's permission to live. I'm forced to pay someone else to remain alive.
  - ceejayoz 7y ago
    They're examples of why "just let patients treat themselves" is frequently a horrible idea. A layperson shouldn't be diagnosing something like diabetes. Once you're on insulin, refills will typically be a (free!) phone call or email away. My daughter's on growth hormone, for example. Obtaining a new prescription when we run out of refills doesn't require payment or a visit. (The meds themselves do cost an insane amount, of course, and the doc does like to see her once in a while to make sure we've got the dosing right, which seems reasonable.)
    - yeahitslikethat 7y ago
      The individual should be sovereign over the self. You're fine needing permission to live. I'm not. I was clear about treating conditions the patients had for years. You straw manned again. You must have a conflict of interest. Maybe you are a doctor.
      - dang 7y ago
        Please don't break the site guidelines by crossing into personal attack. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
        yeahitslikethat 7y ago
        Suggesting someone is a doctor is a personal attack??

ceejayoz 7y ago

> Perhaps now we can start to allow patients to treat themselves? You already can. You're welcome to self-administer tylenol, bandage a wound, etc. When you start getting into more complicated conditions, we like to have a professional in the mix, as laypeople have a tendency to do things like want antibiotics for a cold, essential oils for cancer, and think vaccines cause autism.

yeahitslikethat 7y ago
Insulin is not an antibiotic. You're straw manning. There are conditions patients have that, due to years with it, they know more about than the doctors and people should not be beholden to another by law to obtain the medicines they know they need to live. It's wrong. I need a doctor's permission to live. I'm forced to pay someone else to remain alive.
- ceejayoz 7y ago
  They're examples of why "just let patients treat themselves" is frequently a horrible idea. A layperson shouldn't be diagnosing something like diabetes. Once you're on insulin, refills will typically be a (free!) phone call or email away. My daughter's on growth hormone, for example. Obtaining a new prescription when we run out of refills doesn't require payment or a visit. (The meds themselves do cost an insane amount, of course, and the doc does like to see her once in a while to make sure we've got the dosing right, which seems reasonable.)
  - yeahitslikethat 7y ago
    The individual should be sovereign over the self. You're fine needing permission to live. I'm not. I was clear about treating conditions the patients had for years. You straw manned again. You must have a conflict of interest. Maybe you are a doctor.
    - dang 7y ago
      Please don't break the site guidelines by crossing into personal attack. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
      - yeahitslikethat 7y ago
        Suggesting someone is a doctor is a personal attack??