Taking the Lead on Major Issues Impacting the Practice of Medicine

By Edmon Soliman, MD, FACP, ACCMA President

Everyyear, physicians around the East Bay are tasked with thinking about the biggest issues facing the practice of medicine and developing recommendations for the CMA House of Delegates (HOD), which convenes in October. It marks the start of an important process that steers the course of our statewide advocacy efforts and helps establish broad policy based on what we, as physicians, have determined to be the major issues affecting the practice of medicine.

Our members serving on the ACCMA District IX Delegation meet throughout the year to debate and outline policy in preparation for the HOD. Last year, mental health, physician workforce, and health care reform were the three major issues at the forefront of the conversation.

This year, we have elected to submit three topics to the CMA House of Delegates for consideration of major issues for the year: medication drug shortages, gun violence, and the politicization of evidence-based scientific and medical information. These issues have had a significant impact on our patient population, continuing to put patient lives at risk and threatening our ability to provide quality care.

Many physicians are currently facing or will soon face medication drug shortages that inhibit our ability to provide the best care for our patients. According to a recent US Homeland Security and Government Affairs report, drug shortages increased by nearly 30% in 2022. This includes common antibiotics, anesthetics, and sterile fluids used to keep intravenous drug tubes clean1. Medication drug shortages will continue to occur in the coming years, and California must take the lead on this issue before it gets worse. California is already taking one step with Governor Newsom’s plan to produce low-cost insulin. It is imperative to continue to work together to ensure that we develop ways to combat medication drug shortages so that we can provide the best care for our patients.

Of course, we have all seen the toll that gun violence has taken on our communities. The medical community should continue to speak against gun violence and expand on CMA’s and AMA’s current policy by developing novel approaches on how physicians can aid in preventing the destruction caused by this epidemic. Emergency physicians and trauma surgeons must be brought to the forefront of the discussion, as they are at the frontline, treating most gun wounds that arrive at the hospital. We cannot discuss gun violence without also incorporating mental health into the conversation, with the priority of developing a preventative care plan to tackle both issues.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, medical misinformation and politicization of evidence-based scientific information has increased worldwide2. This issue creates challenges when trying to meet our patients’ needs and in delivering medical care. One such example of the impact of the politicization of evidence-based practices is the debate on vaccinations that was exacerbated by COVID-19, leading to misinformation and challenges in preventing the spread of the virus. This is tantamount to political hijacking of medical recommendations which would otherwise sit squarely “in our lane” as physicians, resulting in lack of patient care and the censorship of physicians. We must work to develop policy and bring this issue forward to protect our patients and help society regain trust in physicians and in the practice of medicine.

Ultimately, the “major issues” for HOD are decided through a thorough and democratic process in the CMA. Whatever they end up being, the ACCMA looks forward to providing further advocacy and guidance on the topics we submitted for the betterment of the communities in which we live.

Notes

1 Jewett, C. (2023, March 22). Rising rate of drug shortages is framed as a national security threat. The New York Times. Retrieved May 5, 2023, from https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/22/health/drug-shortages.html

2 Hendrix, J. M., Sharp, C. D., Page, S. L., & Popovich, M. (2023, April 1). The disinformation and politicization of Health Care. ASA Monitor. Retrieved May 5, 2023, from https://pubs.asahq.org/monitor/article/87/S4/40/137964/ The-Disinformation-and-Politicization-of-Health