Steve Berkowitz

Eliminating Pain as the Fifth Vital Sign… What a Cop Out!

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Steve Berkowitz

Eliminating pain as a fifth vital sign?   What a cop-out ! Lately I am sure that all of you have seen the recommendations to the AMA and other organizations to eliminate pain as a fifth vital sign and furthermore eliminate pain scores from Pay for Performance reimbursement mechanisms.   I totally understand that we are… Continue Reading >>

Steve Berkowitz

An Unrecognized Cause of Medication Errors

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Steve Berkowitz

An Unrecognized Cause of Medication Errors Out-Patient generic drug vendor substitutions I went to refill my medication this week and my pharmacist informed me that my usual medication is now being purchased through a new vendor. What last month was an orange pill now is a white one. He wanted to make sure I knew… Continue Reading >>

Steve Berkowitz

Having been a physician for over 30 years, I am fascinated by the many alternatives to traditional medicine that the media constantly puts before our patients.  As more and more patients peruse the internet prior to seeking direct medical attention from a physician, the opportunity to be exposed to all sorts of potential treatments will… Continue Reading >>

Steve Berkowitz

Post-Operative Pain Does NOT Mean Narcopenia !!

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Steve Berkowitz

I usually write about health care economics and reform. Today  I want to talk about my clinical passion–  pain management, especially in the post-operative setting.   It truly amazes me that despite our advances in medical care, many patients still do not receive optimal pain management after surgery.  Here are three rules to consider as we… Continue Reading >>