Waste of medicines

The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) has made it mandatory for all private companies to arrange health insurance for their employees. Accordingly, a number of low-paid employees are availing medical facilities from different clinics. It is however observed that when a doctor prescribes 5-10 tablets to the patient, the pharmacies supply medicines in sealed boxes having three to four strips of tablets, which (in most cases) are excess in quantity.

Often, patients, after using few tablets throw away the unused medicines. These land in dustbins, which is not only waste of medicines but also waste of money because, sometimes, the patient pays 20 to 30 per cent of the cost of the medicines. Importance of medicines of any kind cannot be denied because these medicines can be life-saving drugs to many patients who are in need but can’t afford them.

Pharmacies mention that they are not allowed to sell individual strips of these pills. However, some pharmacies supply one or two wrappers even just a few tablets to the customers who pay in cash. It seems as though, through insurance, the pharmacies are doing lavish business because they not only get 20 to 30 per cent co-payment from the patient but also recover the balance amount from respective insurance companies, for selling complete packets.

In the current practice, co-payment by the patient is to be paid according to the cost of the full packet and the cost can obviously be reduced if pharmacies supply the quantity as advised by the doctor. This would not make much difference for the pharmacies because they can easily sell the remaining leaflets to others who are ready to pay in cash.

There is a great need to realise the gravity of the situation and formulate a policy so that no medicine can go waste.

- The reader is based in Dubai