[Colombia59]

Everyone is complaining about the symptoms and not the problem. As long as the American Medical Association can maintain its monopoly power by limiting the number of total doctors available, doctors will continue to be able to work four day weeks and make $400,000 per year. This is the real villain.

[Doe Eyes]

In many countries, pharmacists can prescribe medications, bypassing the trip to the doctor.

[LibWhacker]

. . .doctors will continue to be able to work four day weeks and make $400,000 per year. . .

Well, I do agree with you that we need more doctors. But few doctors work four-day weeks. Just the opposite -- which is exactly what you'd expect of any kind of worker who was in short supply. Most doctors put in brutally long hours, often working for months on end without a day off. Twelve hour days are not uncommon either. Also, very few doctors make anything like $400,000/yr.