Zambia: A Kaoma based pharmacist has shared his distress on witnessing several instances of self-prescription and self-medication. He has shared that community members in the district have been taking self-prescribed medications.
According to the pharmaceutical expert, the practice can be harmful to people’s health. David Kavungu, a pharmacist at the Kaoma District Hospital, shared these views. He claimed that levels of self-prescription in the district are alarming.
According to him, the patients are misusing malaria medication and antibiotics especially whenever they are unwell. The patients tend to take medication above the recommended dosage which can even turn fatal.
Kavungu says the trend needs urgent intervention from the healthcare authorities as it has become most common in the area.
The local pharmacist spoke to the media regarding the issue. He said self-prescription makes the micro-organisms in the body to multiply and eventually result in abnormal infections.
“Most people have a tendency of not going to hospitals but rather rely on paracetamol for all types of pain.” The use of the same medication for all kinds of pain, including headaches can be problematic.
The expert claimed that headaches can be caused by various conditions such as hypertension, increased intraocular pressure. Further, excessive use of paracetamol can damage the liver and other organs in the body.
He explained that self-prescription without proper knowledge can result in taking the wrong dose at the wrong time and for the wrong purpose. The situation can thus lead to more health complications.
Meanwhile, Patient Moonga, a pharmacy technologist at Kaoma District Hospital, has also shared his views on the situation. He has advised the general public to visit health facilities for proper diagnosis.
Moonga stated that by visiting the facilities where qualified healthcare professionals, the ailing can get appropriate medications and health care services.
She further advised drug stores countrywide to sell drugs only upon production of stamped prescriptions from a qualified medical personnel or health facility in accordance to the law.