Specter.  A word indicating the perception of a possible unpleasant occurrence.  Real or imagined.  For example, Dr. Ribotsky offered a recent warning in PM News regarding increased advertising of OTC fungus toenail products.  A clear and present danger to the podiatry profession suggests Dr. Ribotsky.  Dr. Levy writes in to tell us that another miracle cream is forthcoming for onychomycosis.  Dr. Ribotsky suggests the APMA advises the public to see a podiatrist for their toenails.  

Here is the problem. The public is better served using over-the-counter products then seeing a podiatrist for fungus toenails. It is cheaper.  Likely just as effective. The only place for a podiatrist is when the nails are too thick and someone needs to cut them instead of the patient who cannot do so.

Why ?  Because if you see a podiatrist they will sell you crap that does not work. Think about it.  They sell you BAKO slop, Formula 3, lasers, or other junk therapies which have no solid evidence that they actually work. 

On entering the podiatry supermarket, you will also likely get stuck for a fungal culture or $1,000. worth of genetic testing to tell you it is a fungus.  And you will get stuck for the co-pay on this so-called nail “biopsy“ billed by the podiatrist. 

So you might as well go out and buy your own crap because you have just as good a chance it will work as anything you would get in the office of a podiatrist.  At least you won’t be paying an office visit ( ie. awful visit ), cultures, genetic testing, and make for 10 biopsies.  We get conned out of $500.  If these things really worked wouldn’t everybody be using them?  The only thing that has actual data are the oral antifungal therapies.  But since podiatrist or not real doctors they are reluctant to prescribe real therapy to treat fungus toenails.  Just think about the parade of nonsense that has been sold to podiatrist to then sell it to patients.  Whatever happened to Penlac ?  If that worked wouldn’t you be using it ?  It should work.  After all people like Warren Joseph made thousands and thousands of dollars lecturing to us telling us what a miracle cure it was.  How about Jublia ?  Several thousand dollars to use this.  If it worked why is not everyone using it ?  Again, Dr. Joseph, Dr. Markinson, Dr. Garafoulis and Dr. Vlahovic all did dinner meetings for a nice honorarium telling us how wonderful this medication was. Why are you not using it if it was all that good ?  There is also of course Sporanox which again speakers such as Dr. Joseph said worked extremely well.  Why are you not using this medicine ?  Of course the answer is very simple in that once again it is real medicine and would require real doctors and not podiatrist who are afraid to write for anything that gets into the bloodstream and goes through your liver. 

You see, Dr. Ribotsky was correct.  We need toenails.  We love toenails.  We are toenails.  Pedicure shops and now the over-the-counter fungal nail products are a threat to the existence of podiatrists.  Most assuredly, the APMA has done its part to let the public know that we are toenails.  As has Barry Block with his advertisements. 

I say change the caduceus to a toenail.  And let’s have a national motto complete with bumper stickers that say “podiatry, we are toenails”.   

SPECTRE.  The enemy of James Bond.  Certainly you know who they are.  Stupid podiatrists exporting crap to raise expenses.