There are members of Congress receiving drugs for Alzheimer's

[kpete]

An old-school pharmacy hand-delivers drugs to Congress, a little-known perk for the powerful
By ERIN MERSHON @eemershon
OCTOBER 11, 2017

....

Nearly every day for at least two decades pharmaceutical drugs have been brought by the carload to the Capitol — an arrangement so under the radar that even pharmacy lobbyists who regularly pitch Congress on their industry aren’t aware of it.

The deliveries arrive at the secretive Office of the Attending Physician, an elaborate medical clinic where Navy doctors triage medical emergencies and provide basic health care for lawmakers who pay an annual fee of just over $600. Every one comes from Washington’s oldest community pharmacy, Grubb’s.

........


“At first it’s cool, and then you realize, I’m filling some drugs that are for some pretty serious health problems as well. And these are the people that are running the country,” Kim said, listing treatments for conditions like diabetes and Alzheimer’s.

“It makes you kind of sit back and say, ‘Wow, they’re making the highest laws of the land and they might not even remember what happened yesterday.'”

https://www.statnews.com/2017/10/11/pharmacist-congress-drug-delivery/

Link to tweet

[cilla4progress]

1. Speculation

On who?

[janterry]

2. I'm not surprised

We all want to stay in the workforce longer these days. But there just has to be a limit. I remember sitting in a room of octogenarians watching them make fun of the barely there Strom Thurmond (he was truly incompetent at the end).

They knew he was too old to be there.

The advantages of the incumbent are just too strong to weed out those whose hearts might still be in it, but minds are clearly not.

[groundloop]

9. Who 'wants' to stay in the workforce longer???? - it's more like we're forced to work

I'd retire today if I could. The biggest obstacle is being able to afford health insurance, Medicare for all would go a long ways toward helping many people be able to retire. I firmly believe this would help the economy as well since this would open the door for more employees to come into higher paying positions.

[janterry]

10. There's that, too

My understanding of the research (though) was that - often - folks who have had difficult blue collar jobs were anxious to retire and those with more 'white collar' jobs were putting it off.

Though there is great variation, I'm sure, among individuals.

I wonder, too, if everyone had a chance at good health insurance, medicare, reasonable income - it might change what people would choose when they hit 'traditional' retirement. If all those supports were secure, many more might want to formally 'retire.'

[Javaman]

33. this has nothing to do with staying in the work force longer...

anyone with an ounce of brains would retired if they were able to.

this all about power and ego.

nothing more, nothing less.

[kskiska]

34. Thurmond (100 years old) was actually living in Walter Reade Hospital

and had to be taken from his bed to Congress to vote.

[procon]

3. Why isn't an annual physical a legal requirement for the congress and the president?

Yeah, maybe it's not legal to make the results public, but damn, shouldn't there be minimum standards with regard to conditions and meds that affect their brains?

[QED]

5. And a psych eval nt

[Phoenix61]

32. Airline pilots have to pass a physical

And I believe boat captains do also. Only makes sense senators, congress persons, heads of agencies and the Pres should have to also.

[smirkymonkey]

4. This is pretty serious.

I think the public has the right to know if a member of congress is being treated for a debilitating disease like Alzheimer's which will affect their ability to perform their function.

[JeaneRaye]

6. I could believe it but....

These days, I look at the source of the information before believing anything I read. If it comes from a trusted news source I believe it. If it is real, I will read it in other sources. I am talking about sources like the New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, the Guardian, Wall Street Journal... you know, those sources that have fact checkers. If if come from a site that I have never of, well.... you know, I look at it with some skepticism. I don't know this site, statnews.com. Who are they?

[progressoid]

12. Seems legit.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stat_(website)

Stat (stylized STAT, sometimes also called Stat News)[1] is a health-oriented news website launched on November 4, 2015 by John W. Henry, the owner of The Boston Globe. It is produced by Boston Globe Media and is headquartered in the Globe's own building in Boston.[2][3] Its executive editor is Rick Berke, who formerly worked at both the New York Times and Politico.[4] According to Kelsey Sutton of Politico, the website is Henry's "biggest and most ambitious standalone site yet".[5] As of February 2016, it had 45 staff members.[3]

https://www.statnews.com/about/

[JeaneRaye]

18. Good to know.

Thanks for the info.

[progressoid]

20. I too am leary of unknown news sources.

Sometimes I spend more time researching the messenger than reading the message!

[blogslut]

13. Stat News is a subsidiary of the Boston Gglobe

FYI: https://www.statnews.com/about/

[mahatmakanejeeves]

25. I've linked to them before.

Not that that's a guarantee or anything, but....

[Cheviteau]

7. Just Curious

Wonder how much shit is delivered that's not prescribed.

[IronLionZion]

8. Privacy?

I know it's a juicy story, but come on. Patients have a right to privacy for their medical issues. A lot of our favorite liberals are not getting any younger.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

14. Two issues.

Privacy- I'm all for it.
Impaired congresspeople - I am against if , even for those with whom I agree with.

[JoeStuckInOH]

21. Bro, do you even HIPAA? nt

Never let facts get in the way of a good outrage.

[IronLionZion]

22. nt stands for no text. You don't put nt when you have text

DUers have been outrageous lately without stopping to consider the source.

Sometimes we all need to take a strategic pause.

[snooper2]

38. HIPPA doesn't apply here because a specific individual isn't being called out/named

do you do HIPPA? LOL

[JoeStuckInOH]

39. Evidently not :(

But come on... it's not the population at large here. Out of 535 people, it can't be too hard to guess whose brains are turning to swiss cheese.

What if your doctor walked into your waiting room where 3 people were sitting and announced: "Someone here has Alzheimer's. Someone here has Cancer. Someone here has HIV. It might all be the same person... or it might be different people."

Is that a HIPAA violation?

[mahatmakanejeeves]

26. I hate "me too" posts, but me too. NT

[janterry]

11. Some of these might also be prescribed 'off label'

so not necessarily for Alzheimer's or what have you. It's hard to know since an MD can pretty much do as they want...........

[murielm99]

16. They could be for family members as well.

I will wait and see with this story.

[loyalsister]

17. Could also be for family members

There are too many possibilities to interpret this story without verified facts with confirmations. I think it's irresponsible to whip up hysteria without the entire story. Unfortunately that seems to be the very low standard for journalism these days.

[Delmette2.0]

15. Look who get two subsidized healthcare programs.

$600 a year is a screaming deal. It costs $3.7 million a year to run the Office of Attending PhysicIan the 535 members of Congress should be paying $6,915.88 a year.

Then Congress also has 70% of their ACA paid by their employer (taxpayers).

[Horse with no Name]

35. $50 a month for conceirge medicine

great gig if you can get it.....

[geardaddy]

19. Who wants to rent a breast pump? Wouldn't it be better to buy one?

[IronLionZion]

23. Insurance probably covers some of the cost

[Stinky The Clown]

24. ". . . . listing treatments for conditions like diabetes and Alzheimers."

I can understand concern of lawmakers are taking a drug for Alzheimer’s. Why did the article lump that in with diabetes? Maybe he should have also listed drugs for hemorrhoids and athlete's feet.

[geardaddy]

27. Or STDs

[kskiska]

36. How about Viagra?

[geardaddy]

37. Yes!

[Irish_Dem]

28. We have a right to know if they are competent. We test other workers for our safety.

Our leaders should be held to the same standard as bus drivers and airline pilots.

[Beartracks]

29. Alzheimer's drugs aren't always for Alzheimer's.

Some drugs commonly prescribed to Alzheimer's patients are also indicated for other medical issues.

===========

[Duppers]

30. Could explain some things though.

[Freethinker65]

31. Namenda

[left-of-center2012]

40. Another reason to remember what JFK said ...

... about passing the torch to a new generation.