Drug knowledge lacking among Indonesian public<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, an apple a day is often not enough to keep the
\ndoctor away when illness cramps your style.<\/p>\n
Many Indonesians choose to resort to traditional medicine for
\nwhat ails them, and the herbal concoctions may indeed do the
\ntrick for more common ailments.<\/p>\n
But when an infection refuses to run its course, and
\npersistently keeps you running on low, it is probably time to
\nresort to a course of pharmaceutical drugs.<\/p>\n
Only a qualified physician should prescribe treatments, and
\nconsumers should not fall into the trap of trying to guess what
\ndrug will suit their condition.<\/p>\n
Allergies or contraindications for unprescribed medicine can
\nbe fatal; what works for one patient may not be the right stuff
\nfor a friend or relation.<\/p>\n
One woman, given a sulfer-based drug by a well-meaning
\ncolleague to treat a throat infection, noticed a few minutes
\nlater that her fingers were so swollen she could barely type. Her
\nspeech was slurred as her tongue had also swollen.<\/p>\n
The cause -- she was allergic to sulfur drugs but had not
\nrealized the drug's contents when the patented name of the
\nmedicine was mentioned.<\/p>\n
The pharmaceutical industry has suffered in the crisis, with
\nsoaring costs of imported materials needed in their preparation.
\nNevertheless, pharmaceutical firms have managed to keep their
\nheads above water by consolidating their core business.<\/p>\n
Indonesian pharmaceuticals are recognized for their excellent
\nquality, on par with equivalent products from other countries.<\/p>\n
During this crisis, when penny-pinching is a daily survival
\nskill, generic drugs are starting to come into their own.<\/p>\n
Once unfairly and wrongly dismissed as inferior by consumers,
\nwho based their trust on brand names alone, generics are finally
\ngetting the respect they deserve.<\/p>\n
Indonesian consumers, like their counterparts in other
\ncountries, have started to realize that while the name may not be
\nthe same, the quality of generics is.<\/p>\n
A concerted media campaign has won over a doubting public to
\nthe generic cause. The drive has included amusing ads pitting a
\nhaughty society madame (Ida Kusuma) who is eventually sold on
\ngenerics by her more pragmatic acquaintance (Marissa Haque).<\/p>\n
\"Why choose anything else,\" the older woman sniffs at the end
\nof one spot after filling her generic prescription.<\/p>\n
Industry insiders and government officials acknowledge that
\npublic awareness of the benefits of using drug preparations to
\ncombat illness remains poor.<\/p>\n
Myths and stereotypes abound about side effects of using drugs
\nand how, in fact, to take them.<\/p>\n
Just as there are people who adamantly refuse to pop pills
\nagainst disease, there are others who think nothing of demanding
\nthe pharmacist hand over the drugs they believe they need.<\/p>\n
Self-medication can be dangerous when it entails strong drugs.
\nMisuse of the drugs -- such as only using them until the symptoms
\nhave subsided but not through the doctor's prescribed course --
\ncan do more harm than good. The infection may be dormant, to
\nreturn in a decidedly more virulent form later on.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/drug-knowledge-lacking-among-indonesian-public-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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