I have been struggling with what kind of post should go into the “found on the net” column, but finally discovered something that must certainly qualify. Granted, I’m a little late in drawing attention to it, but better late than never. About two weeks ago, one of my favored political bloggers, Glenn Greenwald, ventured into the healthcare arena and posted a short piece entitled “What is the rationale behind the prescription drug laws?” The authors premise? Why he does a competent adult need a doctor’s “permission” to obtain a medication?

I recommend the post and the comments section to anyone interested in the role of patients in healthcare. (a day pass to Salon.com is free if you’re willing to view a brief “commercial message”)

Dan Hoch

Dan Hoch is a neurologist based at the Massachusetts General Hospital and is an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School. An early developer of online resources for patients, Dan helped found Braintalk and is active in the American Academy of Neurology, the American Epilepsy Society, and the American Medical Informatics Association.