Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Aug 23: While welcoming the Government decision to start prescription audit in hospitals, Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) today said that it is an instrument to enhance the quality of health care and ensure the safety of patients.
The DAK president, Dr Nisar-ul-Hassan said that auditing of prescriptions will improve the quality of life by enhancing the standards of medical treatment at all levels of health care delivery system.
“There will be clear lines of accountability and auditing will end the practice of irrational prescribing of drugs. Irrationality in prescription is a common and rampant feature in the State of Jammu and Kashmir. Prescriptions are full of irrational and unnecessary drugs,” he said.
Dr Nisar said that irrational practices not only increase the cost of prescription but lead to widespread health hazards such as increased incidence of adverse effects. “Antibiotics frequently find their way in prescription for viral diarrhea where simple fluid replacement works. Also, antibiotics instead of antivirals are commonly used for flu,” he said.
The DAK president said that this unethical practice of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing has led to worrisome drug resistance. “It is observed that fanciful vitamins and tonics are unnecessarily prescribed and are essentially put in prescription to get a favor from pharma companies. There is increased incidence of breast cancer due to the inappropriate use of oral contraceptives,” he said.
“There is ample evidence demonstrating, there is a gap between the health care that patients receive and the practice that is recommended,” added Dr Nisar.
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