Medicine: Stop Wasteful Prescribing Habits

   Medicine: Stop Wasteful Prescribing Habits

  THE Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) views with apprehension

  the Health Ministry’s strategy in tackling the problem of

  over-prescription, rather than the underlying cause, by calling on the

  public to return unused or expired medications at selected government

  medical centres and hospitals. The rationale is to protect the

  environment against indiscriminate disposal of expired medications and 

  save government cost from the reuse of unopened medications in good

  condition.The common medications returned were those used to treat

  cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, anti-hypertensive agents and

  anti-cholesterol drugs.

 

  Patients are often prescribed medications they don’t need or in greater 

  doses than required. This has become a norm in government and

  private hospitals here.

  

  Patients are given a host of medications, pushing up their medical bills

  per visit. We see those without cough prescribed cough mixtures, those

  without fever getting paracetamol, and lotions or creams are thrown in

  as well.

 

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Medicine: Stop Wasteful Prescribing Habits