[e-drug] Patients behaviour when purchasing/obtaining drugs (2)

["ozma fazal" <ozma.fazal@gmail.com>]

E-DRUG:  Patients behaviour when purchasing/obtaining drugs (2)
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Dear Frank,

I work as a Staff Pharmacist at a tertiary care hospital  having both
hospital as well as community pharmacy practice. We run the  formulary on a
generic basis and keep one brand of any given drug at a time. The physicians
have to prescribe the drug available since the patients have complete trust
on what they get from the hospital rather than any thing from outside the
hospital.

However, we have noticed that the trust really lies upon the doctor who
prescribes the medicine. It is difficult to educate the patients , but it is
easier to educate the doctors about the intricacies  of cost/brand 'generic
drugs and the pharma companies. Yes, we depend on pharma companies for the
medicines, but then they depend on us , the health care providers as well,
no disease, no patients  means NO medicines!!

So we need to train the physicians, give them proper and updated guidelines
and make sure they conform to those guidelines which are normally the
institution's, to ensure evidence based and cost effective practices.

Ms Ozma Fazal Khan. Staff Pharmacist
Coordinator Research, Training and Education
Dept of Pharmacy
The Aga Khan Hospital
Karachi, Pakistan
"ozma fazal" <ozma.fazal@gmail.com>