Lay-public thinks that the drugs prescribed by qualified doctors do not produce harmful effects on human system. Beside it, the non prescription drugs used are equally beneficial as those bought on payment of fee and seeking a prescription.
This practice does not subject them to any type of health hazards and do not harm their systems. To assess this assumption information was gathered from chronic patients and studying in depth the relevant literature, it was found that the assumption is based on erroneous thinking.
It is a matter of common observation that if harmless substance like water is given in a quantity beyond tolerance limit of a human body, it produces "water intoxication". It is manifested through such signs and symptoms ie dyspones (breathlessness), cramps, drowsiness and fits/convulsions.
Now it is an established fact that the medicines of all the systems possess some degree of electrical charges. Then how can it be expected that in an unethical practice or self medication, unnecessarily given and taken electrical charges in the form eg drugs will not harm various organs of human body temporarily or permanently or will not alter their functions. It is established that all the medical substances possess electrical charges.
Therefore, it is certain that irresponsible use of drugs causes damaging effects on the functions of human organs. Often such damage is beyond one's comprehension or imagination. Even the over-dosing of medicines produces such unspecified sings and symptoms that make diagnosis difficult. Besides, the side effects produced by unethical medical practice on human body is now well established fact and some of the substances if used in non medical over-doses do produce serotonin and dopamine chemicals in human body that make the respective individuals substance addict.
OBSERVATION: It has been observed that some of the medical practitioners dispense anti-malarial and megnopyrol for any kind of fever. Or without any laboratory test, they dispense anti-malarial, antacids, anti-emetic and depressants of different colours and of different pharmacies together to almost all the patients visiting them for various aliments.
It is certain that dispensing without specific indications and over-dozing of such drugs would be producing toxic and damaging effects on various systems of the patients. Besides, the market is full of anti-diarrhoeal drugs. Instead of promoting and advocating ORS for preventing dehydration, many practitioners are still prescribing and dispensing anti-biotic for diarrhoea. Some of the medical practitioners are prescribing steroids for common cold, cough and for general malaise etc.
It has also been observed that there are some practitioners, whose prescriptions have more than one anti-biotic or/and have more than three drugs in one prescription. There are others, who don't consider their prescription complete unless some vitamins, some expensive drugs and anti-biotic of third generation are added to it.
As a result of quackery in practice of medicine, drug resistant cases are developing rampantly. Besides masses are suffering from unnecessary complications of diseases arisen as result of toxic effects of over-dozing of drugs or/and prescribed for unspecified sings and symptoms.
The side effects and definite risk of unethical prescribing of cotrico-steroid drugs were determined and established by the Group Action into Prescribing (GASP) since 1950.
It is an allied response team. Its finding are that cortio-steroid causes damages to almost all the organs of human body. It is resulting in manipulation of such signs and symptoms of diseases which are not reported yet in scientifically proven literature. Besides, such drugs destroy immune system of the body. Their adverse effects are produced on brain and nervous system, heart and circulatory system, kidney and U.G/system, muscles, bowels, bones, hair, eyes, face. Moreover such drugs may cause the following conditions or the diseases like:
Diabetes, osteoporosis, cataracts, glaucoma, other unspecified eye problems, moon face, mood swing, depression, buffalo hump, headache, bruising, backaches, acne, stretch marks, memory loss fluid retention, period problems and early menopause, facial hair growth in women, poor slow healing process teeth and gum diseases, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, swollen hands and swollen ankles, thinning of skin, bowel diseases, excessive sweating, vascular necrosis, loss of sex derive, insomnia, stomach ulcers, anger with heart stress, body cramps, indigestion and heart burns, change in strength and composition of nails, hair loss and hair breaking. Rarely the following conditions have also been noted:
Psychosis, hepatitis owning to some of the hypertension drugs.
Destruction of Immune system with drug and abnormal or extra marital sex, increase the risk of contracting illness like: chest infections, common cold, flue, shingles, fluid retention chickenpox.
UNETHCIAL PRACTICE AND READING HABITS: It has been observed that some of the medical practitioners are not fully conversant with the true damages and the risks to health by their prescribed drugs. It is perhaps due to their restricted reading habit. Besides some of the pharmacies do not reveal specifically and explicitly the true information on dangers of the drugs in their medical promotional literature.
Some of the doctors are using multi-disciplinary therapy eg some time popular scientifically untested medicines are being used simultaneously with the tested medicines along with the acupuncture. In a research report towards saver choice, it was revealed that in the period of research report 64 persons developed pneumothorex and 19 died due to poor medical training of the medical practitioners.
In Pakistan no such record is available to study and indicate the deaths and infections caused by the practitioners of different systems of medicines. In Australia catastrophic deaths have occurred with the use of scientifically untested drugs or procedures. Thus spread of infection was noted eg (a) puncture of vital organs. (b) mental trauma. (c) inoculation of infection by needles. (d) delaying the diagnosis for treatment. (e) contamination by medical herbs.
Even some of the psychotropic drugs like mono amino oxidase inhibitors suppress the enzyme activities in human body. They break down neurotransmitters, norpinephrine, and serotonin in the body. Thus this process increases the required quality of Dopamine and Serotonin. It has been observed that this condition makes individuals prone to substance addition.
Results of observation:- It has been observed that some of the private practitioners don't follow the vaccination schedule. As the parents bring the child for vaccination. They administer the vaccines at their will and "extract" their fee. It is happening due to misunderstanding of some of the simple minded people. They regard as their national duty to get child vaccinated every year. They think that the double dozes of vaccination immunisation may give more protection to their child.
Thus such a practice is resulting in wastage of national resources and wastage of valuable professional man hours. Besides such practice is enhancing the activity lymph node. It was observed that these were enlarged in some of double vaccinated children. It has also been observed that when parents bring children for vaccination, no BCG scar was found on the deltoid. Although the record from the card indicated that the vaccination was done at proper time. It indicates that vaccination immunization is being administered by poorly trained or careless personnel. Due to weak supervisory body masses are paying huge medical fees and medical bills, and in return they are not receiving standard services worth their money.
CONCLUSION: On the basis of observations it is being concluded that health of the masses is fast deteriorating. The diseases like hepatitis, tuberculosis, malaria, mental ailment and diarrhoea are apparently on increase. It seems that the whole system has collapsed. The reasons of this situation could be as under:-
-- Lack of control over implementation of various regulations in respect to government clinics, private & public sector hospitals, medical and health institutions.
-- Helplessness of medical or health hierarchy towards improving standard of medical education and raising the national standard of health some responsible people attribute this situation to corruption.
-- Lack of earnest political will for solution of these problems that have added to the magnitude of suffering of the people.
Probable solutions:- If this situation is not rectified immediately then damaging effects of drugs and unethical practices of the medical practitioners and production of low quality of drugs will continue. To curb the health damaging and unethical practices, the three important medical bodies like PMDC, Federal Health Ministry and provincial health departments can play an important role. These bodies can implement the following suggestions with modifications were it is necessary in their own jurisdictions.
-- By initiating a programme of continuing medical education for updating medical and community health information and knowledge of the auxiliary workers, paramedics, general practitioners and specialists of various fields. It must be made mandatory for all to attend Continuing Medical Education Programmes. Those who don't attend such a course may not be allowed to practice in future. Their licenses be cancelled. One third of the training expenditure be born by the trainees. The government should bear 2/3 of the expenditure. Such training should be organised at taluqa /tehsil level.
-- Rules and regulations to curb the quackery already exist. After studying their failures, these may be reframed to remove the lacunae. These rules and regulations be strictly implemented to ban quackery and curb quackery like practices.
-- According to experts of World Health Organisation not more than 227 drugs are needed for routine treatment. In Pakistan over 2200 drugs are registered. Easy availability of these drugs in boosting unethical and health damaging practices. Their availability to general public be made difficult. Thus these drugs be placed at discretion of the specialists to use in dire need.
-- The patients need to be sure that the medicines they use are safe and effective to the possible extent.
-- Research results of system damaging effects of the drugs be made available to the patients in particular and the public in general in bold legible print.
-- It is advocated that the dispenser pharmacists must honour the basic right of the doctor as well as of the patients that they must know about the dangers and the risks of use of those drugs which they sell.
-- The third generation of contraceptive pills should be avoided in first time users, because it may cause thrombosis.
The experts in this field are in a better position to evaluate these recommendations. It is hoped in the years to come they will succeed in curbing banning unethical practices with the help of continuing education programmes and strict implementation of the relevant laws.