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The article “Doctors who threaten public health continue to practice” (a reprint from the Washington Post in the Science+Health section of the Star Tribune, August 13) propagates the most egregious error in the management of the COVID pandemic .
As a primary care physician, I continue to work every day to restore patients’ trust in medicine. When the government repeatedly presented its latest recommendations as fact, only to then change those “facts,” it undermined patient trust in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
When faced with a new disease, we must approach it with humility. Recommendations regarding isolation, masking, vaccination and treatment have often changed as understanding of COVID has evolved. Unfortunately, the certainty with which the original statements were made created animosity toward those who continued to question and explore options.
The resulting polarization has now created an epidemic of distrust. For example, patients who previously vaccinated according to the regular schedule or followed screening protocols are now questioning all recommendations.
Instead of perpetuating the idea of punishing providers for trying alternative treatments, we need to recognize that many patients today are trying alternative therapies rather than what is considered standard care. A common example is those who choose holistic cancer therapy over well-established medical protocols. As a physician, although I do not agree with their decision, I nevertheless feel obligated to provide alternative health care to these patients. But part of this patient autonomy also includes the freedom to choose their health care provider.
Those who went to doctors offering alternative therapies for COVID knew they were not following the CDC. It is false to claim that patients thought they were receiving standard care. They chose to seek different treatment based on the variety of approaches to COVID. In oral arguments August 8 before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, the federal Department of Justice attorney representing the FDA stated: “The FDA explicitly recognizes that physicians have the authority to prescribe ivermectin to treat COVID. » That doesn’t mean it’s recommended, but it does mean it’s not criminal.
My concern in this battle is less about COVID and more about preserving physician autonomy and the sacred relationship between patients and providers. We made a serious mistake in managing the pandemic. The practice of medicine should not be dictated by government policy. This is an area whose understanding is constantly evolving. Due to the nature of the discovery, doctors and patients may choose treatment that ultimately fails. In other circumstances, the alternative becomes the standard of care. As a community, it is time to end the animosity around COVID and reestablish thoughtful dialogue and openness to trials of unique treatments.
Dr. Mary Paquette, of Mendota Heights, is a physician.
