Chua sticks by clinics' dispensing

NST: KUALA LUMPUR: Former health minister Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek believes that the current arrangement bet- ween doctors and pharmacists should be maintained. He said separation of duties could see costs going up as well as causing inconvenience to the patient.
"While the number of pharmacists has increased and the shortage of pharmacists is not as acute as five years ago, we have the problem of distribution of pharmacists since most of the pharmacists are in major towns.
"Most pharmacies do not operate 24 hours. How is the patient going to get his medicines at night?"
He was commenting on the ongoing debate over whether the country is ready for a separation of duties in the prescription and dispensing of medicines by the two professions.
Dr Chua also said in most medical practices, the dispenser was not a trained pharmacist.
"They are trained just to read the doctor's prescription and dispense the medicines, often with no idea about the functions and side effects of the drug being dispensed.
"This may not be the most ideal conditions to dispense medicines. However, in the Malaysian context, it has served us well with minimum cost and hassle."
Dr Chua said some pharmacists unfortunately did not function professionally and they sold medicines without a proper prescription.
"Most pharmacists would not even bother to tell the patient of the side effects of the drug.
"In fact, the patient hardly has any opportunity to interact with the pharmacists in a pharmaceutical outlet.
"What is worse is that some pharmacists also branch out into other healthcare activities that should be the domain of the doctors."