Pharmacies Continue To
Sell Antibiotics Over
the Counter Despite
Prohibition
Pharmacies in San José
and other cities
continue to sell
antibiotics without a
medical prescription
contrary to a decree by
the Ministerio de Salud,
which was issued in
1998. Medications like
Zithromax, Clavulin and
other antibiotics can be
purchased at any
pharmacy counter without
questions.
The Salud decree number
26.984 prohibits the
dispensing of
antibiotics without a
doctors prescription to
avoid patients from self
medicating that cause
intoxications or cardiac
problems.
María Luisa Ávila,
ministra de Salud
(Health minister),
explained that the
continued consumption of
antibiotics makes the
organism resistant to
the substance, meaning
that when a patient has
an infection and needs
the antibiotic, it will
have no effect.
In addition to being
able to purchase
antibiotics over the
counter without a
prescription, other
medications like
antivirals used to fight
Herpes.
Accoring to the Health
minister, the antivirals
do not need a
prescription, but it is
the duty of the
pharmacist to ask the
patient to be assured
that the customer has
been diagnoses with
herpes.
At pharmacies around San
José customers can also
buy various types of
medications for losing
weight, stop smoking,
antidepressants,
erectile dysfunction,
etc. all without a
prescription. In the
majority of cases, all
that is required is a
short interview with the
"pharmacy doctor" to
obtain the medication.
Last week, ministra
Ávila sent a letter to
the "Colegio de
Farmacéuticos de Costa
Rica" insisting that
pharmacists respect the
Health decree and demand
a prescription for the
sale of antibiotics.
Ávila admits that her
ministry does not have
sufficient staff to
inspect the 850
pharmacies in the
country and to sanction
the offending
pharmacies.
"We would need to have
an inspector all day
long at each pharmacy
keeping an eye on
customer purchases",
said Ávila.
Verónica Castro, lawyer
for the Colegio de
Farmacéuticos, they only
investigate cases where
the complaint is in
writing and includes
proof that the
antibiotic was purchased
without a prescription.
Castro added that the
complaint has to be
signed and cannot be
anonymous to avoid non
founded accusations.
To prove the point,
Inside Costa Rica was
able to purchase "Clarimicin"
at a Pavas pharmacy and
Zythromax at a downtown
pharmacy without being
asked for a
prescription. At both
the Pavas and downtown
pharmacies we could not
purchase just one pill,
but the entire treatment
- 10 pills in the case
of Clarimicin and three
for Zythromax. |
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