Medical and health professionals

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that four billion people— 80% of the world population—use herbal medicine for some aspect of primary healthcare. Herbal medicine is a major component in all indigenous peoples traditional medicine and is a common element in Ayurvedic, homeopathic, naturopathic, traditional oriental, and Native American Indian medicine. Opinions about the safety, efficacy, and appropriateness of medicinal herbs vary widely among medical and health professionals in countries where herbal remedies are used. Some countries professionals accept historical, empirical evidence as the only necessary criterion for herbal medicine s efficacy. Others would ban all herbal remedies as dangerous or of questionable value. 

Patient noncompliance with prescription regimens is one of the most understated problems in the health care system. The effects of noncompliance have enormous ramifications for patients, caregivers, and health professionals. Compliance with medications is a worldwide problem, and measures that are effective in one country may not have work elsewhere. 

Elder is intended solely for informational and educational purposes, and not as medical advice. Please consult a medical or health professional if you have questions about your health. 

A point to note is that different medical systems such as traditional Chinese medicine. Ayurvedic medicine, and traditional African medicine and homeopathic medicine have different standards by which they judge adverse reactions, as compared with Western allopathic medicine. This may lead to controversy and confusion amongst patients and health professionals alike communications must take this into account. 

Since 1992, the Food and Drug Administration has received nearly 30,000 reports of medication errors. These are voluntary reports, so the number of medication errors that actually occur is thought to be much higher. There is no typical medication error, and health professionals, patients, and their families are all involved. Some examples ... 

Accepts reports from consumers and health professionals about products regulated by the FDA, including drugs and medical devices, through Med-Watch, the FDA s safety information and adverse event reporting program. (800) 332-1088... 

Accepts reports from consumers and health professionals related to medication. Publishes Safe Medicine, a consumer newsletter on medication errors. 1800 Byberry Road, Suite 810 Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006-3520 (215) 947-7797... 

The Committee on Safety of Drugs was set up in June 1963 by the Health Minister, in consultation with the medical and pharmaceutical professionals and the British pharmaceutical industry, with the following terms of reference ... 

Conversely, let us examine other occupations that are considered professions within our society— namely, the legal profession and medical profession—and compare these occupations with those of the safety and health professional. The medical and legal professions require specific educational requirements and curriculum. The safety and health profession possesses no specific educational requirements ... 

The medical and legal profession requires a lieense. There is no licensure requirement for safety and health professionals. 

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a term that is bandied about fairly indiscriminately, and a word of caution is needed about its use. Properly conceived, it is a formal psychiatric diagnosis with strict, specific criteria. We have no idea how many people suffer from the full syndrome after medical treatment but the number is probably small. However, the incidence of some of the symptoms is probably very much greater. Many injured patients suffer from nightmares about their treatment and time in hospital, from persistent and intrusive recollections of their care and other problems, but nevertheless not from the full constellation of symptoms that makes up post-traumatic stress disorder. Depression appears to be a more common long-term response to the chronic problems of medical injury (Vincent and Coulter, 2002), although there is little research in this area. Whether people actually become depressed and to what degree will depend on the severity of their injury, the support they have from family, friends and health professionals and a variety of other faaors (Kessler, 1997). 

Safety and health professionals may require medical examinations of employees only if the medical examination is specifically job related and is consistent with business necessity. Medical examinations are permitted only after the applicant with a disability has been offered the job position. The medical examination may be given before the applicant starts the particular job, and the job offer may be contingent upon the results of the medical examination if all employees are subject to the medical examinations and information obtained from the medical examination is maintained in separate, confidential medical files. Employers are permitted to conduct voluntary medical examinations for current employees as part of an ongoing medical health program, but again, the medical files must be maintained separately and in a confidential manner. The ADA does not prohibit safety and health professionals or their medical staff from making inquiries or requiring medical or fit for duty examinations when there is a need to determine whether or not an employee is still able to... 

Safety and health professionals are prone to the same addictions as others within our society. One major abuse issue is the use of prescription medication as well as the use of illegal controlled substances within our society, and arguably within a percentage of our safety and health professional population. The safety and health profession, unlike the legal and medical professions, possesses no ability or mechanism through which to provide rehabilitation assistance to safety and health professionals. Currently, safety and health professionals are lone rangers with no direction or assistance from the profession itself. In the future and as part of any licensure process, the safety and health profession, rather than individual employers, should provide assistance to individual safety and health professionals in addressing addiction issues. 

In particular, MSDS "must be useful to the safety and health professionals deciding what controls to use, the first aid or medical treatment to provide, and the precautionary measures to follow" (OSHA, 2004). ... 

Safety and health is viewed as a profession that has at its core responsibility the health and welfare of people. This puts the health and safety professional on a similar pedestal as a medical professional. The safety and health professionals are expected to function under a code of ethics and exhibit behavior that is compatible with that code. 

AH implantable medical devices ate complex in design, materials, and implementation procedures. The biocompatibiUty, biodurabiUty, and efficacy of medical devices are the subject of extensive research by biomaterials scientists, device manufacturers, and health care professionals. 

Medical monitoring and surveillance programs enable occupational health professionals to identify adverse health effects caused by exposure to hazardous substances and conditions and to discuss plans with site workers, industrial hygienists, safety professionals, and line management to prevent exposures and protect workers. These goals can be accomplished through two objectives ... 

The SSHO should on an annual basis in cooperation with the occupational medical physician and the health and safety professional conduct the following ... 

---