A network of pharmacists in the South has joined a chorus of protests against a clause in a bill seeking to allow other health professionals to dispense medicines.
The pharmacists have announced their stance against the bill proposed by the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) with a warning that it will put people's health at risk while giving business opportunities to investors.
While the clause in the bill is said to help address a shortage of pharmacists at community hospitals, where nurses help dispensing medicines, critics are concerned that professional health workers may not have adequate knowledge to do the job.
They are also worried this may open the way for convenience stores across the country to sell medicine without deploying pharmacists, which can undermine efforts in promoting safe drug use.
The network's move is being bolstered by a civic network in the Northeast which is rallying people to gather at Khon Kaen University's Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences this Saturday.
Thiravat Hemachudha, who is head of the Information Centre for Emerging Infectious Diseases at Chulalongkorn University's faculty of medicine, urged authorities not to rush into the issue.
He said many questions need to be answered involving the knowledge and expertise of health professionals who might be expected to dispense medicine.
"If other health professionals are qualified to do this, I don't mind. If they aren't, there should be restrictions," he said, adding patient safety must be first priority.
He said pharmacists are best qualified to handle drug dispensing, but he understands privately-run clinics cannot afford to hire pharmacists to dispense medicine and have nurses do it under the supervision of doctors.
However, health professionals at Lak Roi community health centre in Nakhon Ratchasima's Muang district have welcomed the new drug bill, saying it would "reflect the real situation".
Rattana Panichnok, the director, said the facility has no permanent pharmacist and mostly nurses are responsible for dispensing medicines otherwise patients would have to go home empty-handed.
She said health professionals are aware of the limitation and they feel uncomfortable about it. She said if the drug law is amended to reflect the situation, the staff will do the job more comfortably.
The facility has 10 permanent staff -- six nurses, two health specialists, one dentist and an adminstration staff member -- serving seven villages in tambon Pruyai. She said Debaratana Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital sends one of its two pharmacists to the health centre twice a week to dispense drugs and educate staff about safe drug use.
The bill, which is sponsored by the FDA to replace the 1967 Drug Act, has been put up for public input for seven months.
