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Welcome to my blog, a place to explore and learn about the experience of running a psychiatric practice. I post about things that I find useful to know or think about. So, enjoy, and let me know what you think.


Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Summing Up 2015

Here we are at the end of the year. A lot has happened in the world of psychiatry in 2015.

Collaborative Care is alive and scoring a 0 on the PHQ-9. The Clozaril REMS deadline was extended. Tom Insel left NIMH for Google. Mandatory E-prescribing was postponed until this coming March. EHRs continue to disappoint. Meds long past patent have had their prices jacked up 5000%. The FDA is looking to appoint a new head, and Robert Califf, a cardiologist with strong ties to the pharmaceutical industry has been nominated (See NY Times and David Healy).

On the upside, Dinah at Shrink Rap came up with a brilliant way for people to access psychiatric care in Maryland. I hope this approach is replicated more broadly.

I was perusing my posts from this past year, and I made a list of some of the major topics, and their respective posts, both general and personal:

Maintenance of Certification

I studied for:
The Montillation of MOC
Percentages

And passed:
Done
There and Back Again
Framed
Signed, Sealed, Delivered
Switching the Labels

my board recertification exam.

And I was certified by the NBPAS, as well:
Another Board




The ABPN refused to make any significant changes to MOC, especially Part IV:
I Really Should be Studying, But...
An MOC Step?
Follow the Money

Although the Part IV Feedback modules are now optional.

And I developed my own Psychoanalytic PIP Module:
Fascinating
Here Goes Nothin'
A Monkey's Uncle

The best part about all of this is that I've written enough MOC posts that I now misspell "Maintenance" only about 5% of the time.


Affordable Care Act (ACA)

The ACA has kicked in:
Out of Network Benefits in NY

And pushed me over the edge into the realm of blog ads:
Adding Ads and the ACA


Psychoanalysis

I terminated my analysis:
Termination
Blessings

And wrote some other posts about psychoanalytic evidence and topics:
Analytic Evidence
AA Brill
The Blank Screen
Narcissism, Part I
Narcissism, Part 2


Jeffrey Lieberman

His book, Shrinks was published:
"Shrinks" Review: Introduction
Shrinks: The Untold Story of Jeffrey Lieberman's Oedipal Victory over Papa Freud
Shrinks Links, Etc.

And a torrent of posts followed, culminating in the one about his fiasco of a presentation at the White Institute:
Lieberman Speaks


Addyi

The FDA approved a drug that could hurt you but can't help you:
They Caved

That was immediately sold for $1Billion:
Addyi-dendum

And then the FDA and Valeant pawned off responsibility onto the doctors who prescribe it, and the pharmacies that fill the prescriptions:
Addyi REMS-A Shanda


Paxil 329

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the restored version of Paxil Study 329 was published, with disturbing conclusions:
329


Do I have a favorite post from the year? Not really. The Lieberman posts, especially the reviews and the one about his talk at White took the most out of me. But in terms of content, I think the Analytic Evidence and 329 posts are the most important.

On to pastures greener.