Matthew Tam

MD, FRCPC, DABIM. Endocrinologist. Canadian raised. UK alumnus. US postgraduate. All views non-affiliated.

[Matthew Tam @MTamMD]

FRCPC certified!
Thanks to everyone for your support all these years!
😊🇬🇧🇺🇸🇨🇦🩺

[Matthew Tam @MTamMD]

96 unfilled family medicine residency spots in Ontario. Medical school spots are not the problem. Adequately compensating family medicine is the only solution for everyone to have a family physician. @fordnation @OntariosDoctors
https://t.co/0DBkhi3Xdg

[Matthew Tam @MTamMD]

@gibson_jordie @DrNadolsky Your initial argument was Canada 🇨🇦. I’m keeping it Canadian. You shouldn’t spinning the argument to fit your narrative.

[Matthew Tam @MTamMD]

@gibson_jordie @DrNadolsky Believe what you wish. Suppose it becomes true if you believe long enough.
We’re not receiving any big pharma dollars. I’d easily trade my clinical job for easy “big pharma” money if were that simple. Because so many docs are getting more burned out as we fight misinformation

[Matthew Tam @MTamMD]

@gibson_jordie @DrNadolsky Not at all and I don’t agree with it.
There is plenty of healthcare dollar misspending as you have shown but it’s not under the doctors’ control.

The argument in this thread is that doctors are getting money for writing prescriptions. Which is simply not true.

[Matthew Tam @MTamMD]

@gibson_jordie @DrNadolsky You’re trying to vilify all doctors as getting kickbacks. I’m telling you it’s not true. You seem to keep showing evidence for things that don’t add to your argument at all.

[Matthew Tam @MTamMD]

@gibson_jordie @DrNadolsky Conveniently they did not include the doctor only figures because they know it would amount to such a small number not worth publishing. Hospital contracts can be worth that much more.

[Matthew Tam @MTamMD]

@gibson_jordie @DrNadolsky So again not a good article. It’s very easy for media to vilify doctors. The article states “doctors and hospitals”. Hospital systems may have subsidies if they put certain drugs on formulary. Doctors have no control over this. And these contracts can be hundreds of thousands.

[Matthew Tam @MTamMD]

@Empress_Moo @haywarmi @DrNadolsky And certainly these won’t be in the realm of 100s of 1000s of dollars. Because why are they not quitting their clinical jobs then if so?

[Matthew Tam @MTamMD]

@Empress_Moo @haywarmi @DrNadolsky You can disclose the premise of this? They may be doing clinical trials and studies that require some funding from pharmaceuticals. Unfortunately you can’t do research for free. Negative data can still be published. But this is a whole other topic beyond public understanding.

[Matthew Tam @MTamMD]

@Empress_Moo @haywarmi @DrNadolsky I’ve been practicing for over a decade.

I’ve been through 🇨🇦🇺🇸🇬🇧 healthcare systems as a physician. Any doctor worth their practice is NOT getting kickbacks. Which is likely >95% or more. The few bad apples don’t speak for us all and can happen in any profession

[Matthew Tam @MTamMD]

@gibson_jordie @DrNadolsky I don’t see how this furthers your falsehood that doctors are getting kickbacks. Because we aren’t.

[Matthew Tam @MTamMD]

@gibson_jordie @DrNadolsky Link to the article in case other people reading want to verify (not sure why you screenshotted rather than linking the article)

https://t.co/DablUYwbyo

[Matthew Tam @MTamMD]

@gibson_jordie @DrNadolsky Also the majority of pharmacist colleagues are not doing this. I don’t police them and what they do or don’t do has no effect on my prescribing. I tell the patient to go to whichever pharmacy they want.

[Matthew Tam @MTamMD]

@gibson_jordie @DrNadolsky Again an article describing how some pharmacies getting kickbacks for certain brand substitutions. This has nothing to do with physicians as I mentioned above. At least it would be nice to reference things that contribute to your point.

[Matthew Tam @MTamMD]

@gibson_jordie @DrNadolsky You linked an article for pharmacist kickbacks. This has nothing to do with physician prescribing - there is no money there. We generally prescribe whatever is covered by patient’s insurance or by provincial drug plans.

[Matthew Tam @MTamMD]

@gibson_jordie @DrNadolsky I’m in Canada 🇨🇦 where are my kickbacks? Certainly news to me if they exist. I literally tell patients it’s up to them to decide whether they want to take medicines based on the consult I’m providing. I still get paid the same 🤷🏻‍♂️

[Matthew Tam @MTamMD]

@Empress_Moo @haywarmi @DrNadolsky Please show me where my kickbacks are. I’ve been at this for years and I don’t have any to show. I feel great when I can de-escalate prescriptions if the e patient improves significantly. 🇨🇦.

[Matthew Tam @MTamMD]

Long line up at the @ROMtoronto Wild Cats exhibit. Had a great time. Well presented! #ROMcats

[Matthew Tam @MTamMD]

@LucyTigerhase @spiritofanu @MakisMD @RealMed3 @PierrePoilievre @CMA_Docs You are absolutely right. We don’t need nor are asking for your sympathy.
Good day.

[Matthew Tam @MTamMD]

@DSask2 @WTFudgicle @hemeoncABnorth Honestly high chance of burn out from covid and inflationary pressures. Locally many family physicians I know of have retired early or closed practices because of it.