AMA: No Bananas at the Doctor's Office!

I file this position statement by the AMA under things that “don’t make no sense,” to quote my favorite film of all time.

The position states the AMA is opposed to the operation of retail medical clinics in stores that also sell tobacco products.  This quote can be found at the WSJ Blog from the above link:

“In no way is this resolution to get back at them,” William A.
Dolan, an orthopedic surgeon on the AMA’s board of trustees, told the
Health Blog. “It’s ridiculous that a health deliverer should be
dispensing cigarettes.

“This would be akin to me spreading banana peels all around my
office area, and having people break things,” he continued. “My shop is
right there, and they come into my office and we fix their broken
bones.”

Why draw the line at tobacco?  If that’s the rationale, shouldn’t the AMA also oppose the operation of retail clinics in stores that sell ANY product which could cause you harm?  No clinics in stores that sell:  knives, fatty food, glasses (they could break!), non-supportive footwear, toys you could fall off of….and so on.

The real issue here is the AMA’s refusal to acknowledge the fundamentally different environment of the retail clinic.  While they state no opposition to the concept, a position like this seems a bit passive-aggressive.  Retail clinics are a threat to the traditional entrepreneurial independence of physicians, so it’s not surprising to see a position like this.

I guess I need a new doctor now.  My phsyician’s office is located next to a convenience store that sells cigarettes and those 20 year old hot dogs on the rollers.

I could get hurt there!