Plight of pharmacists

This is apropos of the woes of patients who have to go from pillar to post to search the brands of medicine prescribed by their doctors for their ailments. It is very unfortunate that some doctors prescribe to their patients a few of their favourite brands which are not easily available in pharmacies. It is done just to oblige those pharmaceutical companies which grease the palms of doctors. In the whole practice, patients are humiliated and he is unable to comply with the prescription resulting in poor prognosis. A few days back my sister sent me, through an SMS, names of medicines which were not available in her vicinity. Being a pharmacist myself, I tried to search the Internet and other resources to know the salt (formula of the drug) so that I could suggest some generic equivalent but all in vain.
Naturally, new drug molecules are launched every now and then and doctors prescribe such newly launched drugs on the monetary motivation of medical representatives without considering the ordeal of the patient who has to search these drugs. Pharmaceutical companies provide gifts, free drug samples, local and foreign excursion trips and fulfil various other demands of the doctors to expedite their sales.
Unscrupulousness in prescribing is done at the cost of patients’ exchequer which is highly objectionable and burden on the hard earned money of the poor patients who consider doctor as his saviour. The situation is further aggravated when pharmacists are not available at pharmacies to guide people about what to do if the specific brand is not available easily. People insist on specific brands at pharmacies due to mistrust and ignorance. They do not know that generic bio equivalent brand is equally effective and can serve the purpose.
All doctors in clinics and especially in public sector hospitals must prescribe drugs in generics or at least write generic names along with brand names so that patients are assisted properly by the pharmacy staff. This is especially important for cardiac and psychiatric patients who have to use such medicines for longer duration (sometimes lifelong). They have to come from far-flung areas to public sector hospitals just to get specific brands of medicines which are not available in the area where they reside. I have personal experience that patients spend huge amount on transportation to get cheap and low price medicine from public sector hospitals for cardiac and mental illnesses etc.
Furthermore, pharmacies with high turnover must hire pharmacists as it is the right of the people to know about the drugs by qualified pharmacists as is practised in the developed world where pharmacies have to shut down if the pharmacist is away. The government should take concrete steps to ensure the provision of quality pharmacy services in the country, especially in Punjab, for the betterment of patients and decrease the disease burden in the society.
FAROOQ BASHIR BUTT
Lahore