Chalerm Warns Doctors On Cold Pills

[webfact]

Chalerm warns doctors on cold pills

The Nation

Unusual pseudoephedrine orders being probed, he says

BANGKOK: -- Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung yesterday implicated unnamed doctors and hospital directors in the sale of pseudoephedrine-based tablets to illicit drug makers, and warned that those who prescribed or distributed large quantities of such medication without naming the recipients would be subject to immediate probes by the Department of Special Investigation.

He said one pseudoephedrine-based tablet could make three amphetamine tablets. "When the pseudoephedrine-based tablets are produced, the Food and Drug Administration still has authority over the tablets, even when they are delivered to the hospitals, but once the tablets are delivered out of the hospitals, I will hold hospital staff or hospital directors responsible for prescriptions or deliveries," he said.

The Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) said it was tracking the financial transactions of people suspected of involvement in the scheme, including bank accounts of pharmacists and doctors. "It is similar to the inspections of drug traffickers and dealers done by the police and the civilian anti-narcotics agencies, which later provide information to AMLO for subsequent seizure of assets," said the agency's secretary-general, Seehanart Prayoonrat.

"There are many such hospitals. Those in Kalasin and Udon Thani are apparent cases, but there are dozens of them across the country," Chalerm said. Asked if they could be considered to form a syndicate, he said: "Not yet; it's individual cases of greed."

The Public Health Ministry has also vowed to take drastic action against staff, pharmacists and directors of government hospitals found to be involved in methamphetamine production using pseudoephedrine-based cold drugs, saying those found responsible for prescription and deliveries of the pseudoephedrine-based drugs would face immediate investigation.

Udon Thani Hospital has submitted the results of an internal investigation to the provincial civil service committee, which is expected to result in a senior official being penalised. The results of internal investigations by Kamalasai Hospital in Kalasin, Thong Saen Khan Hospital in Uttaradit and Doi Lor Hospital in Chiang Mai would be submitted to the respective provincial offices today or tomorrow, said Public Health permanent secretary Phaijit Warachit.

Chalerm said the DSI would soon inspect all government hospitals countrywide. The mMedical Council and the Pharmacy Council had been asked by the ministry to help by encouraging moral responsibility among doctors and pharmacists.

According to Chalerm, the main smuggling route for methamphetamine made from pseudoephedrine has moved from areas along the northern border with Burma - which is the source of mass production - to Laos, then to the Northeast of Thailand, mostly through Thai provinces which border the Mekong, making detection and suppression by Thai police more difficult. A recent bust in Sakon Nakhon netted 762,000 tablets, one of the biggest ever, Chalerm said.

A team of police yesterday raided the Kalasin home of Sodchuen Withojit, a C-6 pharmacist at Kamalasai Hospital. She is a suspect in the disappearance of more than 350,000 pseudoephedrine-based cold tablets from the hospital's inventory. The search turned up no tablets or any illegal items, but police confiscated her bank account books for further inspection.

Six other hospital staff members are suspected of involvement, including director Dr Suphat Thatiphet, who faces a serious disciplinary investigation upon his return from an overseas trip. A team of DSI agents later searched the hospital and would make a statement regarding their investigation today, officials said.

-- The Nation 2012-03-20

[mrtoad]

I'm surprised that Chalerm hasn't announced that he has found a cure for the common cold, and that he will shortly be announcing a crackdown on it, which will eradicate it in three months.

[KKvampire]

Ah chalerm the upstanding and epitomy of everything lawful warning doctors.whatever next

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[aaacorp]

Everything Chalerm say is blurred by cop killings.

[harsh4]

hope he wasn't high on alcohol in parliament when he said this...:-) good to crack down on drugs in a transparent mannner though...

[nurofiend]

"He said one pseudoephedrine-based tablet could make three amphetamine tablets"

lol

for one, pseudoephedrine-based tablets have different consistencies of pseudoephedrine... well, that's all that really needs to be said about that quote.

[chinook]

If this man had 2 heads, he'd be twice as obnoxious.

[jambco984]

Wish there was a pharmacy selling them last week when I was all bunged up. Had to struggle through without them. Every pharmacy in the area saying no you need to see a doctor, for a congestion pill?? Just shows the mentality of the country I love. Crackdown on something else next week please.

[webfact]

Health Ministry Bans Import of Pseudoephedrine

BANGKOK: -- The Public Health Ministry has banned the import of the controlled medicine, pseudoephedrine, which can also be used to produce illicit drugs following reports of unusually high orders of the medicine at some provincial hospitals.

Deputy National Police Chief Police Lieutenant General Jarumporn Suramanee and adviser to the Public Health Minister Pasit Sakdanarong jointly announced the result of the investigation into irregularities in the distribution of pseudoephedrine, a controlled substance used in cold medication which can also serve as a precursor for various illicit drugs by provincial hospitals.

Jarumporn said some officials in charge of overseeing drug warehouses were involved in various wrongdoings, including falsifying transaction reports.

He added the police have confiscated the drug distribution records and ordered the freezing of assets of a pharmacist at the Udon Thani Hospital who is suspected of involvement in a scam.

The investigation also found similar irregularities in three other hospitals in Udon Thani, Kalasin, and Uttaradit provinces. A further probe is underway.

Meanwhile, adviser to the Public Health Minister Pasit Sakdanarong announced that his ministry has ordered a ban on the import of medicine containing pseudoephedrine and demand drug distribution reports from public and private hospitals nationwide to crosscheck with the Food and Drug Administration's records for possible irregularities.

He said ten hospitals were found to have purchased more medicine than they actually need. Pasit added that officials could face dismissal if they are found to be involved in a scam.

He observed that the unusual distribution of medicines to outpatients could be linked to drug-related violence in the southern border provinces.

Thailand's import of pseudoephedrine has constantly declined from 39 tons in 2010, to 25 tons in 2011 and to 12 tons this year.

-- Tan Network 2012-03-20

[tragickingdom]

It is highly inappropriate for Chalerm, father of a perceived murderer and himself accused of almost any financial crime that you can think of to warn medical doctors. There will be surely a few rotten apples working in hospitals but doctors know what they prescribe, Chalerm has no idea what he is talking about. It is like with Sanan in the Abhisit government, people who have no affinity with the medical profession are given the opportunity to make money by putting themselves in charge of product purchases and who meddle in hospital affairs. Maybe Chalerm should close down the private and unregulated clinics which you'll find on any street corner, or Chalerm should close down all drugstores in the country selling to clinics and hospitals.

Chalerm is just another populist that want us to believe that each and every hospital is a Ya Ba supplier. Doctors went to school a while, Chalerm should go to school first before he makes absurd comments.

[bangkokrick]

Knee jerk reaction again, which will affect many people who rely on these medicines for medical relief.

[bigbamboo]

"He said one pseudoephedrine-based tablet could make three amphetamine tablets"

lol

for one, pseudoephedrine-based tablets have different consistencies of pseudoephedrine... well, that's all that really needs to be said about that quote.

So we can take it Chalerm didn't get his obligatory bachelors and masters degrees in medicine then.

[nurofiend]

"He said one pseudoephedrine-based tablet could make three amphetamine tablets"

lol

for one, pseudoephedrine-based tablets have different consistencies of pseudoephedrine... well, that's all that really needs to be said about that quote.

So we can take it Chalerm didn't get his obligatory bachelors and masters degrees in medicine then.

either that, or he cooked very low quality meth lol!

[MEL1]

"the main smuggling route for methamphetamine made from pseudoephedrine has moved from areas along the northern border with Burma - which is the source of mass production - to Laos, then to the Northeast of Thailand, mostly through Thai provinces which border the Mekong, making detection and suppression by Thai police more difficult.

"including director Dr Suphat Thatiphet, who faces a serious disciplinary investigation upon his return from an overseas trip."

Ahum! I don't think he'll be back too soon, after hearing abuout this....

-mel.

[TackyToo]

“Chalerm said the DSI would soon inspect all government hospitals countrywide.”

When will Mr. Clean&Sober finally realize the nature of a raid or investigation? If you make public announcements prior to action, this is what you get:

“The search turned up no tablets or any illegal items…”

“The Medical Council and the Pharmacy Council had been asked by the ministry to help by encouraging moral responsibility among doctors and pharmacists.”

Why should doctors and pharmacists be the only group of professionals in LOS with moral responsibilities? It looks like at least one smart guy is involved as they tried not to quote Chalerm using words like "moral responsibility!"

Edited March 20, 2012 by TackyToo

[MEL1]

Bangkok: - - Chalerm declares ownership of 14 import warehouses which specialise in medical goods and pharmaceutical chemicals' storage.

-mel

[TackyToo]

"He said one pseudoephedrine-based tablet could make three amphetamine tablets"

lol

for one, pseudoephedrine-based tablets have different consistencies of pseudoephedrine... well, that's all that really needs to be said about that quote.

So we can take it Chalerm didn't get his obligatory bachelors and masters degrees in medicine then.

...probably here:

[jeffcool]

I was expecting him to propose a law to shoot all doctors in Thailand..... Kind of disappointed now.....

Chalerm, you let us down here......

[redroo]

Next thing to check up on is = red phosphor & ether

and who's buying this stuff....

[anterian]

Next thing to check up on is = red phosphor & ether

and who's buying this stuff....

Exactly, and neither o these are common kitchen chemicals, and both are dangerous fire hazards.

We need Pseudoephedrine, it has a genuine medical use, so ban the chemicals used to process it and let us sufferers breathe again.

Incidentally, if I was Chalerm I would be very wary of ever going to hospital for treatment.

[yellow1red1]

I'm surprised that Chalerm hasn't announced that he has found a cure for the common cold, and that he will shortly be announcing a crackdown on it, which will eradicate it in three months.

and promise a bombshell surprise, soon...555 [no wait, was that Suthep's line? or Jatuporn?] or all of the above

[mrtoad]

Just now waiting for Chalerm to crackdown on toilets, after all he's full of shit.

[MAJIC]

Another day, another sound bite, to please the faithful,and even more so to inflate the image.