In a new initiative, the Primary Healthcare Corporation (PHCC) has launched a nation-wide campaign to promote the rational use of medicines and prevent their misuse or overuse.
PHCC will use schools, sports clubs and social media to reach out to the public with this message, especially the citizens.
PHCC said yesterday that the campaign aims to make sure that patients will be prescribed only the essential medicines, in the required doses and with the least possible cost.
“Medicines should meet the patients’ treatment needs and be administered in appropriate doses over a specific period of time, with the least possible cost,” said a statement yesterday.
The campaign aims at raising public awareness about the risks involved in the irrational use of medicines. Misuse of medicines is a hot issue in the region forcing some GCC governments to adopt stringent rules to prevent this practice, say medical industry sources.
PHCC pharmacies are not permitted to dispose of medicines without a prescription. However, a number of medicines are being sold over the counter by private pharmacies and there is always a possibility of misuse or overuse of medicines, the sources added.