Prescribing antibiotics
A front page lead article on the subject, was published in a local English daily on 8th November, about the easy across-the-counter sale of any drug, which, as reported, was not legal!
In Bangladesh context however, anyone can write the name of any medicine, or ask for it, and unless it is not a dangerous poison, the chemist shops will gladly sell it to anyone. You do not need a prescription to buy any drug, if it is in stock, you get it! As reported, 75 percent of antibiotics prescribed were unsuitable, while 7 percent were outright harmful! Does it mean that the balance 18 percent were appropriate drugs prescribed!
However, may be this is not representative for all rural areas in Bangladesh. In rural areas, quite often the shopkeeper will listen to your complaints, and sell you a medicine. Their judgment is accepted in good grace, and if the drug is cheap, the patient is happy! Regarding the observation in the news report that "village doctors are not allowed to give prescription drugs," I am ignorant of any such specific law in Bangladesh. Here the drug trade, except for some levels of price regulation and manufacturing permission, is quite an open market environment, as far as the drug retail is concerned! I wonder how the "illegal" mentioned in the headline, comes from? Is there any law on prescription and sale of drugs, and without prescription sale of all drugs are prohibited? For the fact of life in Bangladesh is otherwise!
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