A look at several pharmacies in Lalbagh, Shahbag and Azimpur has revealed that medicines are often available without a prescription.
Sometimes, medicines are given if the previous cash memos are shown, says one buyer. This is done by many buyers, it has been found.
Faisal Ahmed of Ma Medical Hall, says, “Those who are well off taking medicines after going to a doctor, whereas people from low-income backgrounds seek the advice of the pharmacy conductor.”
“We do not sell medicines without prescription but make the exception for medicines needed for fever, cold, sore throat etc.”
In the case of diarrhoea in children, we ask the guardian to take the infant to the hospital and give them oral saline.
Anisur Rahman of the same pharmacy says, “We do not give antibiotics without a prescription.”
We also have a doctor at the pharmacy and often have the prescription brought by buyers checked, said Sushanta Kumar, who runs a pharmacy in Lalbagh.
Manager of Lazzpharma, Md Anwar Hossain, told Bangla Tribune, “This is a model pharmacy and we have adopted prescription based sales, pharmacist counselling, cash on delivery and other systems long ago.”
A pharmacist in Shahbagh, says, “We do not sell without prescription but when a known person comes and asks we have to comply.”
Coordinator of the Bangladesh medicine administration department, Saikat Kumar Kar, told Bangla Tribune, “We do not have enough manpower, but whenever possible, have lodged cases of malpractice against aberrant pharmacies.”
In several cases, pharmacies have been fined, he added.
“The organisation carries out a campaign to stop the sales of antibiotic without prescription.”