Amid the rapid inflation and rises in the price of basic foodstuff, one of the things that Malaysians of limited means can still be thankful for is this country's good and affordable public healthcare system.
Provided that one can afford the long wait to see a doctor, primary and secondary healthcare in Malaysia is generally of excellent quality, and inexpensive, considering the services rendered; such that we can give thanks that our citizens do not suffer from the ridiculous healthcare and pharmaceutical greed that plagues the United States.
Affordable healthcare is a basic human right, and no one should have to suffer or die just because they cannot afford medical treatment or medication. Which is why a suggestion expressed by the Malaysian Pharmacists Society (MPS) to an online news portal earlier this week should be taken with a healthy dose of caution.
The MPS is urging the government to impose a minimum charge for the supply of medicines at public health facilities, claiming that there was a tendency among patients to not use the medicines they received because it was free. This, said the MPS, would save the government money and was the best way to address the current shortage of medicines in the country.
No evidence was provided to support the MPS's opinion. So it is not known whether medicines dispensed by public health facilities truly are being wasted, nor to what extent might this be a problem. And, more importantly, if it exists, what is the cause of this problem? The MPS's claim implies that it is good old kiasu-ness working in reverse — because it is free, there is no value to it; therefore, if it were not free, the medications would be better appreciated.
If this were really the reason patients did not take their prescribed medicines, the suggestion would still not be the most sensible solution. The suggestion does not take into account poor patients, for whom even a minimum charge may be a burden. That handful of ringgit that has to be paid for medication could be what was budgeted for bus fare to get to the hospital; or for replacement laces for a child's school shoes; or a carton of C-grade chicken eggs.
If a patient only had to take medication once a year, perhaps the funds might still be able to be balanced out from somewhere else. But, what if the patient has complex healthcare problems and needs a variety of medication for the long-term? The underprivileged are far more likely to suffer from ill health because of poor nutrition and lack of immediate medical attention as it is. Additional healthcare charges would just add to their suffering.
The main issue of underutilised medication is whether or not patients understand what the medicine is for, and how it functions to improve their health. Doctors need to not only prescribe the medication, but also explain what it does and how it helps, and how it should be taken. For instance, the rise in antibiotic resistance comes from patients not understanding the importance of finishing the course, nor in taking them at evenly-spaced intervals throughout the day.
A proper, gently imparted guideline on medicines in relation to health recovery, by the doctor to the patient, would go a long way in educating the patient on their own healthcare. Wouldn't that be a kinder, and more effective way of saving money?