Thursday, December 29, 2005
A write-up from KP (a pharmacist, i suppose)...
KP wrote:
The abuse of steroids and antibiotics is a major problem in Malaysia and in many developed countries. It is funny how doctors can point finger at us when the usage of antibiotics and steroid in community pharmacies (as I believe Dr. Raj is refering to) is so limited. In my place, one bottle of Ampicillin 250mg, which is one of only three antibiotics that I keep in my pharmacy can last for about 3 years, whereas a clinic which have a monthly turnover less than a quarter of mine can finish it within 2 weeks.
Whenever a patient goes to a clinic about fever, cough or cold, they leave the clinci later with a plastic bag of antibiotics, antipyretics and antitussives. Logically speaking (rather than lawfully speaking), why refer a patient to a clinic when we know that the only thing that will happen is the doctor taking a stethoscope, putting it on the chest for a few seconds (obviously trying to hear if the cough is productive or non productive), taking the temperature and then giving the antibiotics. Wouldn't it be the same as giving the antibiotic in the pharmacy instead ? Who cannot take a temperature nowadays ?
As a health professional, it would not be righteous to refer the patient to another whom you believe will "abuse" medication. Just because they are doctors and have prescribing rights does not mean that they can abuse it! In fact many of them actually encourage the use of group B poison whenever possible just because lawfully, it is not right for pharmacists to dispense them and without giving out a prescription, it will be more beneficial business wise for them.
Comment from MPS:
It is therefore important that pharmacists must uphold professionalism and avoid being criticized for not dong their job properly. Meanwhile, let us ride on whatever weakness that GPs have shown and hope some day survey reports will further reveal the weak GP system and pharmacists be giving better recognition. Be patient, we should be there in due course
Comment from me:
well, what I can comment is pharmacists are very important in healthcare field too. They are no longer “second class” behind the doctors nowadays. Doctors and pharmacists play equally vital role, and they are synergistic in the nature of their jobs. Doctors are experts in diagnosing and surgery, and pharmacists are experts in drugs. Pharmacists are the one who formulate and manufacture the drugs (one of their main jobs) which are to be prescribed by the doctors for particular conditions. Formulating science (pharmaceutics) is not something easy…
Try to think... what doctors are without the pharmacists (and vice versa)? And if doctors can do pharmacists’ job then what’s the point of the government wants to have more pharmacists? Isn’t it will be better if everyone becomes a doctor instead of a pharmacist? For your information, we are still lacking of both doctors and pharmacists…
Anyway have u seen anyone act as a pharmacist in a movie or drama? NO, I think. This makes a lot of ppl don’t know what pharmacists are… HOW PATHETIC!
exposed to radiation @ 10:04 AM