Antibiotics are prescriptions drugs.
What?
Surprise surprise surprise. *sigh*
In the Philippines, confusion on which drugs are
RX or OTC is prevalent. It is an eternal epidemic here *sigh*
The top drug categories that cause confusion and
hot debate between pharmacist and person with NO MEDICAL BACKGROUND are
maintenance drugs and antibiotics, of whether these are OTC or RX. I'll be
focusing on the latter.
Now here are some myths about antibiotics that you
might have heard from your neighbor/relative/stranger who ALL HAVE NO MEDICAL
BACKGROUND WHATSOEVER:
1) Antibiotics are treatment of choice for the common
cold
2) Antibiotics are vitamins that strengthen your
immune system
3) Antibiotics do not require prescription
4) Antibiotics pose no risk or threat whatsoever
5) One does not need to consult a doctor in order to
take antibiotics. One can choose for himself.
6) There is no wrong way of taking antibiotics. Just
take as you want.
7) It requires mefenamic acid on the side
8) It is an over-the-counter drug
9) When you tell the Pharma staff that you need an
antibiotic, they know exactly what antibiotic, brand, dosage form, dosage strength
you have in mind.
Now, I'm here to tell all of you that THESE ARE
NOT TRUE!!! Quit playing doctor!!!
Scenario 1:
Lady: I have UTI. I need Ciprofloxacin.
RPh: Do have a prescription, Mam?
Lady: Whenever I have UTI, I always take one of
this drug and it works. Just give me one piece.
RPh: We need a prescription for this medication,
Mam. The reason why your UTI is recurrent may be due to your wrong use of this
antibiotic. A physician might have to prescribe you a more potent antibiotic
because clearly you have already abused this one and it will not work anymore.
Lady: I'll just buy somewhere else.
Scenario 2
Guy: Hi, I want to buy some Azithromycin.
RPh: Do you have a prescription, Sir?
Guy: This is for sore throat, right? I just need
this because my throat is sore.
RPh: When did your throat start to hurt?
Guy: Just this morning.
RPh: -___-+
RPh: We need a prescription for this, Sir. Only a
physician would know the right type of antibiotic for your condition. We're not
even sure if you need an antibiotic, as your infection may just be a mild viral
infection. I recommend some gargle, or perhaps lukewarm water mixed with salt
first, and if the symptoms don't subside, consult a physician.
Guy: How about Amoxicillin?
RPh: It's still an antibiotic, and therefore still
requires a prescription.
Guy: Even just the 500mg
RPh: Yes, Sir.
Guy: (walks away)
Now this 3rd one is the best:
Old man: I want to buy some amoxicillin.
RPh: May I see the prescription, please?
Old man: Prescription? We don't need a
prescription for that!
RPh: Yes, we do. We need a physician's
recommendation because only they have the expertise the diagnose your condition
and have the authorization to prescribe the right medication for you.
(Oh, this next line is the best! You will hear
this everytime if you work for the “other” drugstores. This line NEVER gets
old. I mean never. It's the ultimate punch line. It just kills a part of me
everytime.)
Old man: BAKIT SA MERCURY DI NAMAN KELANGAN NG
RESETA?
RPh: They may be lenient, Sir, but it does not
mean that it's right. It's still wrong to dispense an antibiotic without a
prescription.
Then a friend of the old man passes by. The old
man calls the attention of his friend and makes fun of me to his friend.
Old man: Hey, look at this Pharmacist! He/She says
that I need a prescription for amoxicillin! Hahahahahaha!!!!
PAKSHET!! PAKSYET TALAGA!!!!
Friend of old man: It's because it's an antibiotic
(he replied rather quietly).
I'm just thankful his friend had some sense in
him.
Okay, before some mercurians gather up and rally
against me, let me show you this scenario to enlighten you of why we are now in
this predicament. I watched this scene while I was shopping in one of your
stores.
Customer: 5 pcs. Amoxicillin.
PA: Do you have a prescription?
Customer: No.
PA: Okay, next time please bring your
prescription. (and then goes on to process the transaction)
Where was the pharmacist?! Is this the right
practice? PA's can now prescribe antibiotics?? Sorry, I may not be updated.
Aren't PA's trained to ask the Pharmacist first
before dispensing an antibiotic without a prescription?? The PA didn't even
interrogate the patient! He just processed the order without so much as a care
for the risks to the patient and the license of the pharmacist. If the patient
said that he left his medication at home and needed to take one now for his
condition, sure, this case may be given consideration, but it's not up to the
PA! I mean, what are the pharmacists for? Props so you can hang their board
ceritificate up your drugstore's wall?
Although it's my first time to have witnessed this
kind of leniency myself, it isn't the first time I've heard of it. I've heard
doctors complain about it, too. Sorry if Mercury yung na-mention ko, pero
nagkataon kasi na Mercury rin ang minemention palagi ng mga customer, and it is
given dahil kayo ang nangungunang drugstore at kayo ang unang pumapasok sa utak
ni customer.
Solution to the problem: Train your PA's to ALWAYS
ask the PHARMACIST. I don't care if they have been PA's for 500 years!! Bakit,
may BS degree in Pharmacy ba sila??? If they dispense antibiotics so easily
without a prescription, it just goes to show that they actually DON'T KNOW
BETTER!
And just so Mercury wouldn't feel so lonely, this
goes to all drugstores! I'm not exactly sure about the other drugstores,
though, as I've never visited them, but if they THINK before dispensing,
instead of just blindly selling, then I commend you for being able to do what a
big chain drugstore couldn't do.
And sa mga branches na natamaan dito (Of course,
I'm not going to assume that all branches practice this way. I have Mercurian
friends, after all), please stop giving your company a bad reputation.
I just hope not all Mercury drugstores are as
lenient as the one I visited and the others the doctors that have complained to
me visited.
You know how I've said before that Pharmacists are
not to blame entirely for the predicament we are all in now? In this case, I
blame the administration for not training their PA's to ALWAYS depend on the
judgment of the Pharmacists (I know your PAs have quotas to reach, kaya benta
ang nangunguna imbis na yung alaga sa pasyente at yung tamang practice) and
your PAs na mga nagmamarunong. Kung may mga pabayang pharmacist sa inyu, yeah,
you're also to blame. Your ignorance have caused these myths to spread as
factual knowledge to unknowing consumers and now we pay the price. It is what
encourages patients to self medicate, making them believe that they can
prescribe RX drugs for themselves. Ngayon, ako pa ang tanga na pinagtawanan
dahil hiningian ko ng reseta yung customer na gusto ng amoxicillin.
Reality bites. Bah.
prescriptions are very important.
ReplyDeleteWE SHOULD ALSO PUT THE BLAME ON BFAD/FDA. ALAM KONG ALAM NILA KUNG ANONG BOTIKA ANG NUMBER ONE NA NAGBEBENTA NG RESETA.
ReplyDeleteAT BAKIT HINDI PA NAPAPASARA/NAHUHULI ANG BOTIKANG 'YON? WELL...
PS. EVEN DOCTORS ABUSE THEIR TITLE.
ReplyDeletePAG SILA BUMILI NG ANTIBIOTICS, AT HINGAN MO, ANG ISASAGOT SA'YO, "DOCTOR AKO."
You are absolutely RIGHT
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteBefore giving your critics on other pharmacists, please make sure that they have a voice in that company.. they may know what is right or wrong but if they impose it, the customer may make a commotion (getting personal with the pharmacist) which usually happens.. at pag nagreklamo na at nagsisigaw at naghanap ng supervisor o manager at pinagbigyan sila,.. my magagawa ba ang pharmacist.. ung pharmacist pa ang mapapasama.. and, kung mag email sila sa top management, exagerated pa minsan.. den kahit tama ung defense ng pharmacist, sasabihin ng nag reklamo na pangit pakitungo sa kanila etc etc.. ang masaklap, di pa nila matanggap ang defense ng pharmacist, my offense memo pa siya na nakahanda.. (just an overview that you should consider before making a critic)..
ReplyDeleteYour scenario na ibinigaymo customer is your asking prescription wat a pharmacist should do is to expand more on counselling or pwede rin natin takotin si customer sabihin natin is.antibiotic is a delicate medication.do u know wat will happen to u?r u aware about superbug infection or superinfection?if they dont listen wu cares.?we already educating them bat sila pa ang galit and i wont buy for that attitude.bahala kayo sa buhay niyo.watsons are doing this before ang gulo talaga talaga to the point galit na galit anf mga customer they dont like counselling most of them.and because of that case to case bases na ang counselling pwede na mgdispense ng antibac dahil negosyo pera pera parin.we cannot change the mindset f just for an overnyte.yan ang mentality ng mga walang alam sa gamot mga bobo.
ReplyDeleteIts better to practice hospital rather than community as pharmacist kasi ang nangyayari sa community ,customer is alwats ryte kahit mamatay na sila sa sakit nila,side a pharmacist is very degrading to point sisigawan sigawan at mumurahin.minsan nakakdisappoint ang ganitong trabaho.most of the pharmacist walang satble na.work kasi di kaya magtagal sa ganitong klaseng kalakalan.thats y i.stop working as pharmacist..im a highschool teacher na bye for pharmacist.
ReplyDeleteMagandang pakinggan yong title na.pharmacist but in real world di naman ganun ka.pangit,pangit lang siya sa comumunity mgwork sa mga drugstore chain.im just abit frustrated about my profession thats y shift to.teaching kasi once teacher ka.ako yong boss.respectful pa.yong image ng mga teacher.
ReplyDeletehi im doing a study on this.. may mga small time drug stores talaga na nagbibigay ng antibiotics kahit walang prescription?
ReplyDeletepanahon na para gumawa ng tv at radio advertisements tungkol dito.
ReplyDeletein the end, wag na lang bigyan ng antibiotic kung walang reseta nang sa gayon ay matuto sila sa kahalagahan ng wastong medikasyon na naayon para sa pasyente.
hard-headed talaga ang karamihan kasi nasanay na sila sa kaugalian na pa-easy-easy lang sa pagbebenta nga gamot. Ang dapat sana nito ay isang maayos na pamamalakad ng mga botika sa pagbebenta ng gamot.
.... its sad that Filipino pharmacist cannot practice the real profession of a pharmacist.....
ReplyDelete....... its because some company only wants profit of the pharmacy..... and as a pharmacist you no longer have the right to practice ur profession.... the company only needs ur license thats it..... but if all the pharmacist would just stand up for there profession i guess you will make a difference... but this will only be realise with the help of the BFAD.... the agency should put into a strict regulation of prescription drugs and OTC drugs..... and pharmacist should practice the 5 rights in dispensing a medicarion...
ReplyDeleteThe saddest and ugliest fact. Ginagamit ng company ang pharmacist para sa negosyo. :( i'm also a pharmacist and i worked in community setting. Every day, na eencounter ko ang ganitong scenario pero anong magagawa ko? Si company na ang naglabas ng memo na kapag walang prescription, tanungin kung dati na itong ginagamit. Kung oo, aba edi bigyan. Napapaaway ako kaya nililimitahan ko na lang ang pagharap sa customer. Dun nalang ako sa rx section kung saan pag rerefill lang at pag gawa ng box ang pagkakaabalahan ko. No patient counseling, no kaaway. Pero sh#/&^$$. Krlangan ko ng boses.
ReplyDeleteBibigyan ba kahit sasabihin na ginagamit mo na? Pinakita ko pa ung picture na sulat ng doktor kasi di ko dala, at di ko rin dala ung balat nung naiinom ko na, bibili ulit ako di ako binibigyan dahil need daw prescription, sabi ko na nga sulat ni dok ito dahil di ko kasi binili lahat ng bigay nyang dame ng gamot kasi kulang pera ko nun. Ngayon bibilhin ko sa mercury p*ta di ako bibigyan letcheng mga PA.
Deletepharmacists by name/profession but just PA in real practice. (mostly ganyan ang mga pharmacists sa atin)
ReplyDeleteProblem1: Pharmacy education. Mas maganda sana kung iimprove ang standards ng pharmacy education sa Pilipinas. Bigyan sana ng more emphasis ang mga courses related sa pharmacy like therapeutics and patient counselling rather than sa mga uselss na minor subjects. Also, dapat hindi rin nababayaran ang mga university/prof in case na bumagsak ang students. Give them a lot of chances pero kung hindi talaga para sa kanila ang profession di dapat bayaran. Kasi at the end of the day, pharmacy practice at patiente din ang magsusuffer.
Problem2. Licensure exam, Irevised sana nila yung type ng exams natin para makakuha ng license. Sa ibang bansa ang exam is combination ng MCQ(multiple choice question) at OSCE (Objective Structure Clinical Examination). Hindi lang sa pharmacy profession but sa lahat ng health professionals. Para maitest din ang clinical skills ng mga newly graduates. Also yung MCQ should be more on clinical scenarios and problem solving rather than direct to the point na kinakabisado lang sa Manor at PACOP.
Problem3. Pharmacy Practice. Dapat magdevelop ng database at software kung saan makapagdocument ang pharmacist at makagawa ng patient profile. So that makapagbigay ng clinical intervention ang pharmacists like may allergies ba? may drug interactions ba? duplication ng medication especially kung madaming doctor? medical conditions? Mas maganda kung centralized para ma-access ng lahat ng health professionals for continuity of care. Lalo na at gusto nilang iauthorize ang pharmacist na magadminister ng injections. Dapat maayos muna nila ang pharmacy practice dahil baka magbigay lang ng risks ang administration ng vaccines kung walang proper documentation. Maging mandatory din sana ang paggamit ng fax machine sa pharmacy at clinics/hospital para makapagcommunicate ang doctor at pharmacists. Dahil nagkakamali din nman kahit doctor.
Problem4. Implementation ng batas. My mga regulatory body pero di naman nila ginagawa ang mga trabaho nila or iniimplement ang batas. May mga sari sari store na nagbebenta ng gamot na wala naman silang qualifications para magdispense. Another thing is kung iimplement nila at maging patas sa lahat na bawal talagang magdispense ng prescription medication ng walang reseta then lahat susunod. Mahirap din kasi sisihin ang mga business owners kasi para magsurvive ang business kailangan din kumita. Kung ang isang botika ay sumusunod sa regulations habang ang isa naman ay hindi. For sure malulugi yung sumusunod at hindi nagbebenta.
Overall, madaming dapat baguhin sa practice ng pharmacy sa Pilipinas. Well hindi lang sa field ng pharmacy but any other professions at sistema sa bansa natin. I-blame ko ang lahat sa bulok na government at mga tatanga tanga na botante especially yung mga nababayaran at nagpapaloko.
Patient seeks a local Dr. He is informed Dr. will visit next Tuesday. Patient waits the 5 days. Now the minor infection is life threatening. But he can now get his prescription. He had no money to get to the city, so now to paraphrase an old joke the prescription was was a success, but the patient died. There is no consideration for the poor remote patient?
ReplyDeleteTama nakaka highblood na dapat ang fdea ang gumagawa ng ganyan aksyon
ReplyDeleteIf pharmacist are frustrated, can you imagine how frustrated the patients are? Filipinos cannot afford the cost of getting a prescription from a doctor.
ReplyDeleteTotal corruption. When someone needs antibiotics for food poisoning through bacteria, he must pay huge pesos and burn a day of his life waiting for a prescription to make the medical union richer - bullshit!
ReplyDeleteMapapaMura ka talaga sa mga Drug store na need Prescription ng Doctor, sinasabi na ngang doctor ang nagrecommend, need ko pa din daw dalhin kahit pinakita ko na picture kasi nga di ko dala, kainis need munang uminom naudlot pa dahil sa mga pabebeng PA.
ReplyDeleteAtska ang mahal mahal mag.pacheck sa doctor para lang maresitahan ka at mabili mo agad sa mercury. Kainis. Paano nmn ang mahibirap
When the wealthy enjoys the convenience of healthcare, the so-called superbugs come into play when it comes to hedging, syphilis, gonorrhea, microbes, and then telling the poor that they need to go to the hospital to take the process and prescribe antibiotics. Syphilis was accompanied by Columbus and traveled the entire world. With centuries of celebrities and upper-class members of the society, rightists and rich people were afraid of reincarnation to the era of mercury treatment.
ReplyDeleteSuperbugs are the game of the promiscuous upper class and the poor.
ReplyDeleteMakakabili ba ako ng Lasix sa mercury drug store kahit walang receta galing sa doctor ?
ReplyDeletehi po..tanong ko lang po..nawawala kasi reseta ng aking gamot..at malayo na po dto samin yung doktor ko..pwede po bang makakakuha ng reseta dito malapit samin thank you
ReplyDelete