>the sign of a good doctor should be how many patients he can get off medications, not how many people he puts on medications.
sadly those are few and far between, and it's not because individual drs are evil. they are under the thumb of big pharma. sales reps from all big pharma visit general practitioners regularly to push the newest patent prescriptions. drs are given the company spiel that the new drugs are actually some kind of a big breakthrough and are what is best for the dr's patients. since most drs know less science than your average RHVAC technician or auto mechanic, they are an easy sell. for those drs that are not so easily convinced, the sales reps offer lucrative bribes and kickbacks for every 'script written. i mean BIG bribes and kickbacks. the drug companies can easily afford them, since they are pushing a pill that costs a few cents to manufacture, but for which they can charge the patient/insurer/taxpayer up to $100 per pill, because it is under patent, and no one else can manufacture it. if there are still drs of conscience who object to giving a new drug to their patients when they know of a time-tested alternative that has a proven record of safety, and is available in a low cost generic form, then the sales reps turn from friendly persuasion to much darker methods. FYI, if a GP has a patient that goes to the hospital, he must have permission from that hospital to visit their patient, and treat them while in the hospital. if a GP wants to perform a minor surgery on one of their patients, they need permission from the hospital to use any facilities. when a GP is stubbornly resistant to writing prescriptions for the new drug, the sales rep will contact all the local hospitals, and using the financial clout of their corporation, they force all of the hospitals to withdraw privileges for the "problem" dr. the dr will be unable to see any of their patients while they're in a hospital, and they will be prohibited from using any hospital facilities. under this kind of relentless pressure on multiple fronts, all drs eventually cave in, or else they see their patients leave and their practice fold.
the solution is simple. sadly, too many people will see it as draconian or call it "socialism."