You don't know your country folks back home in Malaysia lah. They prefer to remain this way, as according to some doctors and Lim Kit Siang. It has such 'homely' feel to it

just pass the law already... then we will see a "BOOM" in pharmacist population in Malaysia.

Besides, i think a major influence for ppl to go for MD/MBBS lies in part due to the $$$ factor that they will earn in the future.

I would like to see what happens when this trend happens to pharmacy programs when the law regarding this matter is amended.

Then probably we will have good ration of doctors : Pharmacists.

then it would be better for the people...

Umm I think you're the only one here who's jumping at "ARE OUR LIFE CHEAPER THAN UK'S OR WHAT?!?!11?!?!one" in this discussion. No one's stopping anyone from getting their meds from the pharmacist instead of their doctor. As it stands now it's a personal choice.

Now why don't you go to Watsons and get yourself a chill pill?

I think you are not a Malaysian to say that. In Malaysia, patient get medicine from doctor, or rather from the school leaver at the medicine counter. No choice.

May be you want to give me an answer as to why we Malaysian can't have the best? Personally, I can't think of other more valid reason.

This post has been edited by Optiplex330: Dec 19 2008, 12:06 AM

erm in oxford dic...
sufficient-enough for a particular purpose rite?

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Added on December 19, 2008, 12:08 amtats wat i'm bout to say....if dispensing right belongs to the docs y the drugs are not dispense by them......

This post has been edited by vanPersieXX: Dec 19 2008, 12:08 AM

Isn't it obvious. Because the law hasn't changed thats why.

If it has, then we will have lots and lots of pharmacists opening up pharmacies everywhere. And there will even more students wanting to study pharmacy.

eh.......actually they do have a choice, even now........they can ask for a scrip and go buy at any pharmacy.....and some do, especially when prescribed from specialists in hospitals (generally they do not dispense so no skin off their nose)......

the thing is, if they do that in the usual gp consult, they quickly realised it cost more separating the two, so they are quite willing to take the medicine from the clinic.......convenient as well.......

theres another solution.....pharmacist work together with the doc in a clinic.

Exactly my point. The choice is there - pharmacists can dispense meds, and patients can choose to use their services.

the pharmacist wants exclusive rights to dispensing lah......ie no choice for patients, cannot/not allowed to get from doctors, but must buy from pharmacists........

Yes, I know that. I am just laying the facts out to Optiplex330, as he insists that we cannot have "the best". The fact is that as individuals, we already can get "the best", if we're aware of it and have the will to. In the same manner that we can wear our rear safety belts even if we aren't required by law.

I do see and appreciate the perspective he's coming from, in that regulation can improve society as a whole, which in turn benefits us many times over. It's what I haven't seen - the perspectives of other stakeholders in play, notably those in areas with limited access to pharmacies and those who are less affluent - that refrain me from joining his faith.

haihz.. why all of you want to fight among yourself like small kids? be ashamed la, i believe some of you are professional enough to handle this issue in better way. grow up plz!

spamming in forum like this wont change anything, its just maybe slightly increase your adrenalin level

2006
Doctor — 21937
Pharmacist — 4292
Ratio 5:1

Extreme shortage?

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Added on December 19, 2008, 8:31 amhttp://educationmalaysia.blogspot.com/2006/03/its-raining-doctors.html

It seems we have another problem on our hand - lousy quality doctor.

This post has been edited by Optiplex330: Dec 19 2008, 08:31 AM

that is a very old article from 2006. The situation has gotten worse, with several new ipts med schools coming on line, and increase of students going to india/indonesia/eastern europe. msia will reach the targeted ration of 1:600 by 2013 at current production rates........then we are into surplus.......and you can't just close a med school when you have enough doctors........

see my earlier post no 6 - http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/860725?author=limeuu

that is why i said, this dispensing issue is of LOW priority at the moment.......there are much more urgent and important issues to face........

I disagree. This is HIGH priority.....for the doctor. In future, there will be less work for diagnosis so they wanted to do dispensing themselves.

I also do not like doctors like this who do not disclose what meds they are giving. Thankfully the doctor I go to gives the meds in the foil pack or full packaging (so I know the active ingredient, manufacturer and expiry date) though I know other doctors who don't.

There is also a danger here when the patient starts to think he/she is more knowledgeable than the doctor. Armed with half baked information from the internet, they will start to tell the doctor what should be the diagnosis and what medicine should be given. It's turn the doctor-patient relationship upside down and that is dangerous.

It's high priority for the pharmacists too. In fact probably higher priority for pharmacists compared to doctors since the pharmacists want to fight for their livelihood.

Part of reason given by doctors for not willing to write the name of the medicine on the label is bcoz they do not want the patient to self-medicate themselves. The other main reason is they wan the patient to come back only to them to get d medicine, coz only they know wat hav been given out.

If the patient itself also dunno wat medicine they are taking wat happened when their medicine finished up and they can't buy from other pharmacies or clinics because they also dunno wat is the name of d medicines they are taking!!! If the name of medicine is on the label itself, at least they can bring the label over.

It has been on numerous occasion that petient come bringing a bag juz labeled 'muntah', 'angin', and asking for the same medicines...and d only info we have is juz the outlook of d tablet itself & also from d written indication on d bag...if its simple condition like diarrhea or stomachache its easy, we can still recommend other brand... how about when it comes to other more serious conditions like hypertension, etc..we juz cant simply choose one n give it to them! And FYI, a lot of patients actually mix all their medicine in d same bag...

The new regulations that stop the 'loose tablet' packaging and require manufacturers to switch to blister pack is for this purpose. It will b much easier to identify it...at least if the clinic did not write the name of d medicine, they still can find it on the blister pack itself.

I myself do not like to be an uninformed patient myself...most patient actually stop taking medicines bcoz they dunno wat medicines they are taking.

I've seen these a lot of times:
"wat medicines r u taking?"
"wat is the name of the medicines...do u know?"

"no...i only have a white bag with 'flu' written on it...but i forgot that i might have mixed up my blood pressure medicines in d same bag."