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Mar 09, 2009 News
Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, has threatened to stop the operations of any pharmacy that sells prescribed drugs to patients who do not have a prescription from a doctor for the purchase of the medication.
In an invited comment, yesterday, Dr. Ramsammy said that this is an illegal act, and as such he is urging the Guyana Pharmaceutical Council (GPC) and the Pharmacy Association of Guyana to help the Health Ministry clamp down on the pharmacies that are engaging in this illegal activity.
Kaieteur News was made to understand that a number of pharmacies have been selling drugs to patients without them being in possession of a prescription from their doctors.
One of the most common medications being sold to patients and which requires a doctor’s prescription is sleeping pills. It is one of the drugs that persons use to commit suicide.
Although the Health Ministry has employed approximately 60 health inspectors to monitor pharmacies so as to ensure that they are operating within the boundaries of the laws, Minister Ramsammy said that the inspectors cannot be at all the pharmacies every minute of the day.
“This is the same reason why I have called on the GPC to help the Ministry in this situation… because no pharmacy should dispense drugs to patients without a doctor’s prescription… It is against the law and while the inspectors cannot be everywhere at the same time, and as long as we have complaints of such acts, I will close that pharmacy down,” Minister Ramsammy said.
The Health Minister reiterated that he would not be tolerant of such acts, and that it is time Guyana gets serious with this issue, since it is a very serious one.
He explained that the Guyanese people are the main partners in this situation, as they need to report any illegal acts being carried out by pharmacies.
It is in this regard that Minister Ramsammy is urging the GPC and the Pharmacy Association of Guyana to help promote this message, so that persons can be aware that it is wrong what the pharmacies are doing.
According to the Health Minister, while inspectors may be present at some pharmacies, they would check for expired drugs, but the illegal act would not occur in their presence. (Fareeza Haniff)
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