Crackdown On Thai Pharmacies

[george]

Govt warns drug stores without pharmacists face tough penalties.

BANGKOK, Aug 23 (TNA) -- The government has stepped up efforts to make sure that all the country’s drug stores meet official standards.

The Public Health Minister, Sudarat Keyuraphan, has warned stores selling drugs without a pharmacist that they will face tough penalties.

The move is a part of the government’s 30 baht health-care scheme, aimed at improving the quality of the country’s health care, and reducing the cost of health care services in Thailand, the health minister told TNA on Sunday.

Under the Thai law, every drug store must employ a licensed pharmacist to make sure customers are given the correct advise on how to use drugs.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and local provincial health officials will carry out checks on drug stores across the country.

Owners of drug stores without pharmacists will face up to five years in jail.

Any pharmacist who is not stationed in the store which has their name attached to it, will be stripped of their licenses.

The Pharmaceutical Council of Thailand and the Association of Pharmaceuticals for Community have drafted a code of conduct for drug stores which establishes high standards of practice.

Representatives from the organisations have been evaluating drug stores across the country, and are preparing a listed of the stores that offer the best quality and reliable pharmaceutical products.

So far, only 26 drug stores are on the approved list.

A hundred more are to be added in the near future.

By the end of next year, 500 are expected to be on that list, said a Public Health Ministry top official, Prof. Dr. Pakdee Pothisiri, who is also a president of the Pharmaceutical Council.

--TNA 2004-08-23

[Up2U]

So, to improve services the authorities are prepared to strip pharmacists of their licences? How does this help? A warning, a closure such as is applied to go-go's (30 days closure) or similar would be better.

And so would the better education of the general population to encourage more people to study and improve their position in society.

To become a pharmacist requires dedication and many years of hard work. These people should be encouraged, not threatened.

[Martin_F]

Any pharmacist who is not stationed in the store which has their name attached to it, will be stripped of their licenses.

Sounds interesting, as it should be the store that gets fined/closed and not an absent pharmacist who has no control over actions in their absense.

[z21rhd]

If there are 73,000 villages in thailand and only 10% have stores that sell drugs chemical and dangerous poisons, without pharmacists. Then the government may have a problem,

[scratt]

Govt warns drug stores without pharmacists face tough penalties. 

The move is a part of the government’s 30 baht health-care scheme, aimed at improving the quality of the country’s health care, and reducing the cost of health care services in Thailand, the health minister told TNA on Sunday.

--TNA 2004-08-23

I'm confused..

30 Baht Health care scheme??!??!

I know this is a poor country.... but really?

[stumonster]

The Pharmaceutical Council of Thailand and the Association of Pharmaceuticals for Community have drafted a code of conduct for drug stores which establishes high standards of practice.

Representatives from the organisations have been evaluating drug stores across the country, and are preparing a listed of the stores that offer the best quality and reliable pharmaceutical products.

forgive my cynicism.... but do any of the international drug companies have input to this organisation

[Rinrada]

All part of T.R.T policy to inprove things for the less better off.

As a Non Thai it dosnt really matter much to us but for some poor punter from Klong T.or the bundocks in outer Issan it could be a lifeline.

Not that long ago our wonderfull N.H.S in the Uk was completely free at source but now you need a bank loan to pay for half a dozen prescriptions.

Re the 30 Bt scheme...just hope it works

[sonnyjc7]

Hope this doesn't add to the cost. My daily meds in the states even with the VA was rather expensive. Over here my daily expense in the states almost buys a months supply here.

[ovenman]

forgive my cynicism.... but do any of the international drug companies have input to this organisation

Better still, does CP Group or any other friends of Mr. Big have an interest in operating pharmacies across the Kingdom?

[Rinrada]

What about "Boots?"

Surely they must have qualified pharmacists as part of their basic remit (assuming they are not Thai Franchised) and still part of the old UK setup

[drbones666]

Under the Thai law, every drug store must employ a licensed pharmacist to make sure customers are given the correct advise on how to use drugs.

Mind you, doesn't say a thing about having a prescription, just so you get "good advice". When I walk into a pharmacy, 99 times out of a hundred the pharmacist opens his big book of drugs and tries to talk me into buying vicodin or viagra or some narcotic I don't need. How much to take? Up to me.

As to taking years to become one, what's the point? In the end all you're doing is counting pills and stuffing cotton in bottles.

I love thailand.

[alanspinks]

At last there is a tightening up of the conduct of the Pharmacies in Thailand.

I am a UK Pharmacist and have been visiting and staying in Thailand for 26 years.

The role of the pharmacist is one of the most responsible jobs in the community and rightly so the public should be protected and advised on all medicines.

How easy it is to buy prescription drugs in Thailand with no supervision or advice as to dangers and interactions. Is it any wonder there is a drug problem with young people.

More and more drugs are going from POM to P allowing UK Pharmacies to sell over the counter. The latest being Simvastatin 10mg for breaking down the low density cholesterol and helping those over 55 years to avoid Coronary Heart disease. For this there must be a lot of advise and questioning before the sale is made !

Are you all happy with the advise you get when you visit a Thai drug store and get sold potent drugs with no explanations, because the Pharmacist is not present!.

Good luck to this latest move by the Government and the Phamaceutical Council of Thailand. It is long over-due.

UK Pharmacist.

[alanspinks]

Further to the reply from DRBones above ,I think he does a grave dis-service to the genuine Pharmacists in Thailand. There are many hard years of study and experience involved and when he walks into a drug store does he know if he is talking to the Pharmacist or the caretaker man ?

Surely he can see the many advantages of tightening up this lack of supervision in Thai Pharmacies and insuring many accidents and lack of knowledge about the drugs they are purchasing.

Having been in Pharmacy for over 40 years ,I can assure him there is considerably more in the profession than just counting tablets into bottles!!

[briancharles]

Every Boots branch in Thailand has a trained pharmacist. They go to the HQ in Nottingham for training. I know, because I'm from Nottingham, and I always question the pharmacists at their branches in Bangkok etc. to make sure.

[Foggy Bottom]

Combining some responses .....

Does this mean Thais will be able to buy Viagra at 30 Baht a card (10 tabs?) if they can assure the pharmacist they don't have a heart condition?

Could be a great supply source for the "black" market - compare 30 Baht against the online "pharmacy" links at the top of this page. Wonder if Khun Boss will try clamping down on them?

[Rinrada]

30 Baht Health care scheme??!??!

The scheme is for Thai Nationals (with id) to visit the quack....beanies extra

[jimbim]

Sounds reasonable to me. Maybe it will result in more pharmacists working and being trained, and less shit being handed out, people getting learned advice.

Step in the right direction.

[arthsch]

the 30 baht insurance is really a big progress. but here it's thailand. how should we get a new singpore? not the same conditions. we will see.

[capt_canada42]

Basically Taksin only keeps us alive to serve him and make him rich he dosn't really give a TINKERS ###### FOR ANY OF US.

This guy is on the Ulimate Ego Trip!

[bkk barney]

last time i had gonerea i went to a pharmacist, pretty gal of about 26 years of age was the only person there, i told her i wanted tavaridds as i had gonerea, she asked me to go in the back room and drop erm, so there i am standing up with shorts around my ankle with her kneeling in front of me with me old todger in her un gloved hand as she stared at it, now i got to admit i didnt mind this and quite enjoyed it, but, it did make realise that she wasnt the pharmicist.

[capt_canada42]

Basically Taksin only keeps us alive to serve him and make him rich he dosn't really give a TINKERS DAM_ FOR ANY OF US.

This guy is on the Ulimate Ego Trip

GOD I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS A CENSORED WEB SITE is Taksin paying for this site ALSO I have often wondered who is REALLY behind this SITE.

[sriracha john]

she asked me to go in the back room and drop erm, so there i am standing up with shorts around my ankle with her kneeling in front of me with me old todger in her un gloved hand as she stared at it, now i got to admit i didnt mind this and quite enjoyed it

hey.. i guess alansparks was right... there IS more to being a pharmacist than just counting pills...

[sriracha john]

hey.. i guess alansparks was right...

errr..... make that alanspinks

[dotcom]

Viagara is 500 baht PER TAB at any of the few pharmacies that stock it. Go do your own survey.

[udon]

To digress a little..... a lot of products available at Boots in the UK are not available here.

Why? I think Boots got fed up with the gov't dept responsible for authorising new products wanted so much tea money they gave up applying.

Take any drug approved by the FDA and/or their counterparts in Canada, Oz or the UK it still has to pass muster by the Thais.

A simple product like Slippery Stuff has to be tested over 2-3 years before going on sale in LOS, The fact that it is approved in Oz and the FDA means nothing here unless you grease the wheels/hands that matter.

[dotcom]

Having a lisenced Pharmacist on duty any time the drug store is open has been Thai law for decades. Presumably the massive growth of the past few years has led to unscrupulous operators ignoring this basic law. So enforcing the long established law is welcome.

To long time member who has never heard of the 30 baht scheme (good word) where have you been? Pandering by the Giant Fish. If you have studied for 10 years to become a doctor - tough - Toxin got his the old fashoined way - graft.

[ovenman]

Having a lisenced Pharmacist on duty any time the drug store is open has been Thai law for decades. Presumably the massive growth of the past few years has led to unscrupulous operators ignoring this basic law. So enforcing the long established law is welcome.

We could be here for a while discussing any number of Thai laws that have been on the books for decades that only get enforced when it's time for a periodic crackdown. Until proven wrong, I can't see this particular enforcement as being different from most other Thai crackdowns and all will be business-as-usual within months if not weeks.

[Up2U]

Sounds reasonable to me. Maybe it will result in more pharmacists working and being trained, and less shit being handed out, people getting learned advice.

Step in the right direction.

Exactly what I was getting at in my earlier post. If the law says that a trained pharmacist must be on duty in every pharmacy, then the government have a responsibility to ensure that they educate sufficient pharmacists.

In order to get sufficient students who can train as pharmacists, they must raise the entire education level throughout the country - especially in the countryside. The first priority should be to improve the general education, then to show that this higher level of education is beneficial to the students, then to start restricting businesses that do not have the staff with the required education level.

Not to get it arse-backwards, as they always seem to.

[Martin_F]

Wait until we start discussing Doctors and issuing medican......

[Sansai Sam]

First of all, ovenman is absolutely right....nothing will come of this. Like all other "crackdowns" in Thailand it will fade away with someone feeling that they have done their job by briefly bringing it up.

Now as for the pharmacies...most have one pharmacist on staff who works less time than the general staff because their hourly pay rate is much higher and the owners don't want to pay more than they have to.

The reason they try to sell you viagra and whatever other drugs they think you might like is because they have a very low salary but they achieve a monthly bonus based on sales. In addition the drug companies offer them trips and rewards for high sales.

Finally, the 30 baht medical scheme has nothing to do with pharmacy drugs and viagra prices are not affected by it. Its about 2000 baht per box of 4 100 ml tabs. There is a version available from India with the same active ingredient for about 600 baht for 4 100 ml tabs.