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Dr. John Hong
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Medicare Part D Video | What a Donut HOLE

Medicare D is a prescription program for those with Medicare B or who are eligible for Medicare A. Most of my patients who have Medicare D are dissatisfied. And in 2008 they introduced the stupid Donut Hole. Ugh. Medicare Part D 2007:
Some senior citizens suffer. My parents are in their [...]

Pharmacies | Bigger not but better than Starbucks

Pharmacy comes from the Greek word pharmakeia, which means “druggist’s work.” My auntie was called “The Bionic Pharmacist” in the ‘70s because she worked super fast and super well. (Also I think she had a bionic ear like the character Jaime Sommers– because she heard everything.)
Growing up in Nowhereland, we went [...]

Pharmaceutical Commercials – HELP! | Pharmacetical Ads are Inappropriate

Pharmaceutical commercials are out of control. Shouldn’t medications be determined between the doctor and patient, vs. a pharmaceutical commercial? Pharm ads are too abundant

Vytorin | Is it bad for you?

Vytorin is a cholesterol lowering medication. Vytorin was reported January 14, 2008 about the ENHANCE trial. Vytorin has not been shown to reduce CIMT

How Much Do You Really Want to Know?

Fame suits me well. I was shopping at Whole Foods, and between picking the yum-yummiest vegan General Tso’s “Chicken” and some apples, a few fans stopped me. The first said, “I saw you speak at our conference, and I just loved you! I don’t remember what you talked about, but…” The next person said, [...]

Are There Magic Pills?

Magic tricks drive me nuts. How do they do it? One of my friends used to be a magician, and he won’t share any of his magic trick secrets. He taunts me: “No, I won’t tell you how they’re done. But they’re incredibly easy…if not stupid.”
If they’re that stupid, why can’t I figure [...]

NSAIDs – Pain Popping Pills

Americans probably swallow more NSAIDs (nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs) than vegetables. There are over 50 types of NSAIDs out there, including aspirin, ibuprofen, Celebrex, naproxen, and acetominophen. Personally, I love veggies because they’re so healthy, fresh, and tasty– and I’m talking about un-fried veggies (I know, not very Southern of me). Fresh vegetables are good [...]

Vytorin – What’s the Hype About?

Barbara Walters wears Chanel suits. She is so meticulous coiffed that she makes Botox models look like wrinkled shirts. She does not talk about with whom she would have a ménage a trios, but NOOO on The View her co-host asked her this question! Ugh, what is wrong with the media?
I [...]

Pharmaceutical Commercials – HELP!

Iggy is probably the most famous dog in the world. Personally, I don’t consider dogs to be dogs. They are our babies. Love them, love them, love them!
Our baby, Ms. Maggie Moo, comes to work with us everyday. She gets more treats and attention from our patients than any of us at the office. [...]

Avandia: The Big Scare Over Weak Information

The Bachelor: Officer & a Gentleman–yuck, please give me a break! How can a soldier and a doctor go onto a game show of marriage, pledge his love to one woman but then marry the hotter woman?
Not everyone in this country can even get married, but you don’t see anyone creating legislation against TV [...]

Shingles Vaccine: Zostavax is available

Steve Carell has a hard life. I’m sure he got seasick on the Ark while filming Evan Almighty in Crozet. In his NBC show The Office, he’s as clueless as Alicia Silverstone in Clueless. In Anchorman, he had only three– at best four– brain cells.
But in reality he’s very well educated. He went to [...]

SMART Asthma Trial: Long acting beta agonists might cause trouble

“Okay, name this tune in four notes: “Da Da Daaaaaaaaaa-DUH!” (I need to ask my editor to work on making The Hook like one of those Hallmark cards that plays music when you open it.) A book of trivia in our waiting room has a ton of great info on the 1960s TV comedy [...]

Narcotics: Hurts So Bad. Prescribing Narcotics Has Become a No Win Situation

Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis were steamy until they actually “got steamy” on Moonlighting. Why is it when the boy catches the girl, the magic of the show is gone? Look at The Bachelor– proposal, diamond ring, and poof– end of show and the couple– or even worse, gulp, The Bachelorette II. In Moonlighting, Cybill’s [...]

Follow Your Doctor’s Advice

This is a true story, and I’m not exaggerating. A long time ago, I was at McDonald’s and the customer in front of me said, “I would like a Whopper.” The McDonald’s worker said they didn’t have a Whopper. The customer then said, “Well, how about a Whopper Jr.?” This customer got very angry [...]

Medicine Names: What’s this funny white pill?

Mary Poppins said the longest word in English is supercalifragilisticespialidocious. I think the longest-named medicine is Hydrochlorothiazide. (And if you say it loud enough, you’ll always sound precocious.)
Really, hydrochlorothiazide, aka HCTZ, is really not that hard to say. However, for most patients, pronouncing this medicine can be very intimidating. Most patients hate to [...]

Phoning In Prescriptions – ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Blondie sang the great song, “Call Me. ” Even Richard Gere in American Gigolo played that song long before Pretty Woman. Today, with cell phones, *69, and caller-ID, it’s so easy to call your friends, family, mother-in-law, and– your doctor. In fact, it’s too easy.
The phone rings off the hook in most doctors’ offices. [...]

Pill power: Keflex not quick cold fix

I grew up with two physicians as parents. In our cupboards, instead of Toll House cookie mix, we had medications: antihistamines, blood pressure pills, cholesterol busters, and antibiotics– lots of antibiotics.
Face it, parents. If you put pills in the kitchen cupboard, your child is going to take them. Because my parents gave me a [...]