Good Penmanship Saves Lives

Poor penmanship is responsible for up to 61 percent of medication errors and more than 1.5 million patient injuries per year, according to a recent report from the National Academies of Sciences' Institute of Medicine.

Electronic scripts go a long way in reducing these errors. Until all orders are electronic you might want to ask the doc to tell you the name and print it so you do not become a bad statistic.

American Medical Association

As of 2005, latest numbers I could find, the AMA represented 15% of the physicians in the US. (30% of that number are medical school students, residents, or fellows.) Gone are the glory days when it represented the majority of physicians, but for some reason, it still has political clout through its lobbying efforts.

Next time someone tells you the AMA approves, remember that means only 15% of doctors approve.