Drugs aren’t candy: we need experts to sell them

[Kasset Tak]

If you know what you are eating, at a normal health status  and you are not a complete nincompoop then you can buy the medicine you need from the pharmacy. But if you are not, then you should really get your medicine through a hospital.
And frankly, many keyboard warriors here are heavy drinkers and thereby hey should really have their livers and kidneys checked before they start eating any medicine... REMEMBER a normal medicine like Voltaren (diklofenac) that is commonly used for muscle and joint pains mixed with alcohol can really <deleted> up your liver! 

[micmichd]

14 hours ago, Spidey said:

The bulk of this article reads like it was originally published in the US. Completely inapplicable for Thailand and contains scaremongering inaccuracies.

 

If you are prescribed a statin and it causes leg cramps, the doctor will change your statin for your comfort, not because it may harm you.

 

Paracetamol is the recommended (by proper doctors) painkiller if you are on blood thinning drugs. Aspirin is to be avoided if you are on blood thinners.

 

I have, on occasion, purchased drugs that would require a doctor's prescription, in the West, and can have interactions with other drugs, in Thai pharmacies. I have never been asked which drugs I normally take. I take 5 prescription drugs every day. Even at Bangkok hospital, I have never been asked what medication I take before having medication prescribed/administered.

 

Two excellent sources of information on drug interactions are readily available, the leaflet that should come with your medication and the internet. I use NHS online, informative, accurate and unbiased.

 

Take the advice of a pharmacist/doctor/nurse in Thailand? At your peril.

In Thai pharmacies they ask at least about known allergies. Which may be quite useless if you're unconscious and need some kind of emergency treatment. They should have access to an international medical database for this.

Edited September 12, 2018 by micmichd

[micmichd]

6 hours ago, Kasset Tak said:

If you know what you are eating, at a normal health status  and you are not a complete nincompoop then you can buy the medicine you need from the pharmacy. But if you are not, then you should really get your medicine through a hospital.
And frankly, many keyboard warriors here are heavy drinkers and thereby hey should really have their livers and kidneys checked before they start eating any medicine... REMEMBER a normal medicine like Voltaren (diklofenac) that is commonly used for muscle and joint pains mixed with alcohol can really <deleted> up your liver! 

Perfect example. I know I'm allergic against Voltaren, but I didn't know the pharmaceutical name of the ingredient. 

[Spidey]

5 hours ago, micmichd said:

In Thai pharmacies they ask at least about known allergies. Which may be quite useless if you're unconscious and need some kind of emergency treatment. They should have access to an international medical database for this.

I've never known this. I've even bought antibiotics and not been asked if I have an allergy.

 

Can't imagine going to a pharmacy if I'm unconscious and in need of emergency treatment!