>>FOR A NUMBER OF DECADES MEMBERS OF CONGRESS HAVE HAD
ACCESS TO A LITTLE-KNOWN CLINIC AND PHARMACY RIGHT NEXT TO THE
HOUSE OF REP IS AND IF THAT IS RUN THROUGH A MEMBERSHIP
PROGRAM.
THROUGH THIS CLINIC THEY CAN GAIN EASY ACCESS TO
DRUGS VERY CLOSE TO THEIR PLACE OF WORK WITHOUT FOR THE MOST
PART HAVING TO DEAL WITH REGULAR PEOPLE OR HAVE IT BE CLEAR THAT
THEY ARE GOING FOR THESE DRUGS OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
THIS BY
ITSELF IS NOT NECESSARILY ALL THAT IMPORTANT OR INTERESTING,
BUT RECENTLY THE PHARMACIST AT THAT LITTLE PHARMACY HAS COME
OUT AND TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE PRESCRIPTIONS HE HAS BEEN
GIVING, WITHOUT BEING TOO SPECIFIC.
WE WANT TO GIVE YOU
INFORMATION ABOUT THE CLINIC AND ALSO THE CONSEQUENCES,
LEGISLATIVELY, COMING OUT OF THE CLINIC --
>> >> FOR A NUMBER OF DECADES NOW
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS HAVE HAD
ACCESS TO A LITTLE-KNOWN CLINIC AND PHARMACY VERY CLOSE TO THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES THAT IS RUN THROUGH A MEMBERSHIP
PROGRAM.
THROUGH THIS CLINIC THEY CAN GAIN EASY ACCESS TO DRUGS, VERY
CLOSE TO THEIR PLACE OF WORK, WITHOUT HAVING TO DEAL WITH
REGULAR PEOPLE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
THIS BY ITSELF IS NOT NECESSARILY ALL THAT
IMPORTANT IMPORTANT OR INTERESTING.
BUT RECENTLY THE PHARMACIST AT THAT LITTLE PHARMACY HAS
COME OUT AND TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE
PRESCRIPTIONS THAT HE HAS BEEN GIVEN.
WITHOUT BEING TOO SPECIFIC ñ YOU WANT TO HAVE A VERY CLOSE IN
CASE THERE IS A PROBLEM.
IT MAKES SENSE AT THAT POINT THAT THEY HAD IT.
IT MAKES LESS SENSE NOW WHEN THERE IS A CVS ON EVERY CORNER.
NOW THERE ARE MANY PRESCRIPTIONS THAT A PERSON CAN GET.
THE AVERAGE AMERICAN DIET IS TREMENDOUS, SO IT IS OUR
NATURAL DESTINY THAT WE WOULD END UP ON VARIOUS FORMS OF
DRUGS AT SOME POINT IN OUR LIFE.
BUT THERE ARE WAYS THAT MAKE YOU STOP AND MAKE YOU THINK A
LITTLE BIT.
THIS IS MIKE KIM, THE PHARMACIST TALKING ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCES.
>> MIKE KIMIS DEFINITELY GOING TO GET IN TROUBLE.
>>YEAH,
MAYBE HE HASN'T BROKEN THE LAW BUT I WOULD TAKE A VACATION.
>> I'M NOT CONCERNED THAT HE BROKE THE LAW ñ HE DIDN'T SAY
REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT.
THE ONE EXAMPLE HE GAVE WAS NOT RELATED TO ANY ALZHEIMER'S,
HE GAVE THE EXAMPLE OF JOHN CAREY WHO IS A DEMOCRAT.
HE SAID HE CAME IN THE DAY AFTER HE LOST THE ELECTION.
ISN'T THAT AMAZING, THAT GUY COULD'VE BEEN THE PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES.
THE NEXT DAY HE IS A SCHLEP WAITING IN LINE FOR HIS
DRUGS AT THE PHARMACY.
I LOVE THAT ABOUT AMERICA.
I WISH THAT WOULD HAPPEN MORE.
IT IS NOT POLITICAL IN THAT SENSE, NOR DO I THINK IT IS
A VIOLATION OF LAW.
BUT I JUST FEEL BAD FOR HIM.
>> SO I ORIGINALLY SAW THIS ñ THE COMMENTS WERE ALMOST
UNIVERSALLY APPARENTLY CONSERVATIVE.
THAT IS WHAT YOU'RE SCARED OF, THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE NO POWER OR
ABILITY TO ENACT THE LAW?
WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE
ACTUALLY PASSING THE BILLS?
I'M NOT EVEN GOING TO NAME NAMES BUT
LET'S THINK BACK TO SOME POLITICAL EVENTS OF THIS YEAR,
WHERE THERE ANY REPUBLICANS WHO HAD WEIRD DIFFICULTIES
EXPRESSING THEMSELVES AND REMEMBERING THINGS?
I'M JUST
SAYING.
YOU HEAR ALZHEIMER'S ñ MY GRANDFATHER ACTUALLY IS
PRETTY DEEP IN ALZHEIMER'S AT THIS POINT.
IS A VERY DEBILITATING AND SAD CONDITION THAT AFFECTS A
LOT OF AMERICANS.
BUT WE DON'T KNOW THAT THEY ARE AT THE DEEP END.
MAYBE THEY ARE JUST AT THE VERY BEGINNING.
I LOOKED UP THE EARLY STAGES OF ALZHEIMER'S, HERE ARE SOME
OF THE EFFECTS IT HAS.
PROBLEMS COMING UP WITH THE RIGHT WORD OR NAME, FIND.
TROUBLE REMEMBERING NAMES, CHALLENGES PERFORMING TASKS IN
SOCIAL OR WORK SETTINGS, FORGETTING MATERIAL THAT ONE HAS
READ, LOSING OR MISPLACING OBJECTS, INCREASING TROUBLE
WITH PLANNING OR ORGANIZING.
THOSE ARE THINGS, IT DOES NOT TAKE A BIG LEAP OF LOGIC TO
LEARN HOW THAT AFFECTS A PERSON.
REALLY FAST, AS JAYAR JACKSON POINTED OUT THE ONLY THING
SAVING US HERE IS THAT NONE OF THESE REPRESENTATIVES OR
SENATORS ACTUALLY MAKE UP THEIR OWN MIND.
THEY JUST VOTE THE WAY THEIR DONORS TELL THEM TOO, SO PERHAPS
ALZHEIMER'S DOESN'T REALLY MATTER AT THE END OF THE DAY.
BUT IT IS STILL WORRISOME.
>>TO BE FAIR THE PHARMACY ALSO SERVICES STAFFERS,
LOBBYISTS, AND FAMILY MEMBERS.
SO NOT EVERYBODY GETTING ALZHEIMER'S MEDICATION IS
IN CONGRESS.
BUT VERY LIKELY SOME ARE.
STAFFERS ARE YOUNGER, SO THIS DOES GO TO TO ACTUAL PROBLEMS.
ONE IS THAT PEOPLE IN CONGRESS ARE UNIFORMLY INCREDIBLY
OLD ON AVERAGE.
DIANE FEINSTEIN JUST SAID SHE IS RUNNING FOR REELECTION, SHE IS
84.
BY THE END OF HER TERM SHE WOULD BE 90 OR 91.
THE REASON IS ONCE YOU HAVE MONEY AND POWER AND YOU HAVE A
GOOD DONOR BASE AND GOOD NAME RECOGNITION, YOU JUST HANG ON
FOR DEAR LIFE.
THEY STAY THERE AND THEY ARE ANCIENT.
IN MY OPINION THE CORRUPTION SETS IN AND IT CALCIFIED.
DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE FACT THAT THEY DON'T REMEMBER THE
BILL, THEY DIDN'T READ IT IN THE FIRST PLACE.
REMEMBER THAT TALKING POINT THAT THE PUBLICANS HAD ABOUT THE
DEMOCRATS?
YOU DIDN'T READ ABOUT IT OR DID YOU?
LATER ON THEY WENT ON TO SAY THEY BRAGGED THAT THEY DID
NOT EVEN READ THEIR OWN LEGISLATION.
THEY NEVER READ IT.
>>THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS I HAVE TO DO THAT ARE NOT READING.
>>THERE IS ONE THING THEY READ, THE IMA FROM THE DONOR THAT
TELLS THEM WHICH WAY TO VOTE.
THE ALZHEIMER'S AND FORTUNATELY IS THE LEAST OF OUR PROBLEMS.