Time to Stand up to the Big Guns!

By Lori Lawrence  R.D.H.

Ever had a day where everything is going along just great and then Wham…you get hit with a curve ball? My curve ball last week was an incident that really troubled me. I have a client who has a condition called Crohn’s Disease; top that off with a history of multiple root canals and periodontal abscesses. Over the years she has discovered that her stomach and intestines just cannot tolerate the systemic antibiotics the dentist prescribes for her each time she has a flare up. She came to see me in my clinic a year ago and after a thorough assessment and lengthy discussion we decided to use Arestin, it is a low dose (1mg) capsule that will target the infection site and not have to be absorbed systemically through her stomach. The client returned 10 days later, the infection site had cleared up and the client reported no stomach or intestinal upset and more importantly NO lovely yeast infection she would always get when taking oral antibiotics. Needless to say, she thought I was a miracle worker when in reality I was just doing what I was trained to do, assess, plan, implement and evaluate.

 Now fast forward to a year later. The same client calls me last week to say she “feels another infection coming on, and could we use the same stuff we used the last time?” I advised her that I had just used up my last capsule of the product but I would put an order in right away and we would be able to see her in a day or two.

Here is where the curve ball comes in…I get a call back from the dental supply company saying that “we cannot sell Arestin directly to a dental hygienist”. Of course I was appalled and quickly called my sales rep to remind him that dental hygienists are a self-regulating profession.

 

The Ontario Drug Act, Section 118 (3) reads:

(3)  Nothing in this Act prevents any person from selling, to a member of the College of Chiropodists of Ontario, the College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario, the College of Midwives of Ontario or the College of Optometrists of Ontario, a drug that the member may use in the course of engaging in the practice of his or her profession. 2009, c. 26, s. 8 (3).

I then called the CDHO to advise them of this unjust ruling by the dental supply company. I was told that organized dentistry had approached the manufacturer of Arestin and told them that they cannot sell the drug to an independent RDH. Based on that biased information, the manufacturer immediately informed all of its suppliers that they cannot to sell Arestin to independent registered dental hygienists, even though there is no legal reason stating that we can’t use the product. We all know too well that organized dentistry has probably threatened the dental supply companies to abide by their wishes for fear of losing the “BIG” dental accounts!

So where do we go from here? It has taken me a week to sort through my thoughts and after speaking with my confidants, my perspective has become clearer. We recognize what organized dentistry is doing is just “WRONG”, but because they have power and money they absolutely control key sectors like the politicians, the dental supply companies, and more importantly the “media”. They get away with it. Ever wonder why you never hear a negative story in the newspaper about at dentist?  It is not by accident! Even the Competition Bureau of Canada had acquired a huge file of complaints of dentists breaking the competition laws of Canada, they wrote the report a year ago, has anyone ever seen it? When asked why the document has not been publicized, we were told it has been shelved.  However, we hear that it may be released this summer.

That is why I am blogging today, because as Canadians we need to stand up for what is right and in my heart I believe this is one of those times. All I know is, as a health care professional, my top priority is to help my client who has had to endure the pain for absolutely NO reason at all.  I entered the health care profession because I want to help people, not to play these silly political power struggle games. In order to acquire the product I needed, I had to resort to Plan B; my business placed the order for Arestin under the dentist’s name that works with me in my clinic.

One thing I know for sure is I am proud to be among a group of professionals that are strong and innovative. We will always find another way to remove the roadblocks they put in front of us.

There are many solutions and we will find them. The members of organized dentistry are powerful but they may have underestimated the resilience, intelligence, and perseverance of dental hygienists. I encourage anyone who reads this to be the media that we need to help spread the word to the public by posting this blog link on your face book page or twitter. We may not be able to compete with them on the corporate, political, or traditional media level but the old boy’s club can’t stop us yet with social media.

Optimistically, one day we will get the respect we deserve in our rightful place as Oral Health Professionals!

“Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.”

 

Professionally yours, Lori Lawrence  R.D.H.

Here is the link to the Drug and Pharmacies Regulation Act: http://www.search.e-laws.gov.on.ca/en/isysquery/1ff45aaa-5aa1-49d0-a029-1036a4c2e56b/1/doc/?search=browseStatutes&context=#hit1