Govt pharmacies asked to cite process of taking medicines to patients in regional language

kolkata: The state-run hospitals or pharmacies which will distribute free medicines to the patients must have to mention the procedure of taking medicines in the regional language so that the patients or their family members do not face any difficulties.

The state Health department has already asked the government owned pharmacies to implement the new policy. The main objective of the move is to ensure that people in the districts do not take medicine wrongly.

Apart from the medical colleges, district and block hospitals, Suswasthya Kendras will have to mention in detail how the patients will take medicines after they go home. All the pharmacies have been asked that each medicine should be given on a separate envelope with detailed instructions written on it. Thousands of people visit the state run hospitals on a daily basis many of whom have some difficulties in understanding as to how they would take medicines. As a result they quite often take medicine in the wrong process.

The state Health department last month mandated that prescriptions issued by the state-run medical colleges and hospitals in Bengal must be typed out and not hand-written. The department initially decided to launch the first phase of implementing e-prescription from 900-plus primary health centres across the state. It will be extended to medical colleges and other hospitals in a phased manner. All the identified hospitals have been asked to complete the process of implementation by June 30.

Training is being imparted by the health department’s IT cell. Digital form of prescription will make it easier to generate and maintain data that include disease profile, patient medical history record and usage of generic drugs.

Most private hospitals in the city now use e-prescription, sources said.