“They won’t offer you anything that doesn’t help”: Pharmacist “vaping” and deadly antibiotics

– There is an opinion that pharmacists know or at least should know all the drugs available in the market. Is it really possible to remember so many drugs?

– Of course, that’s impossible. The memorization of drugs takes place with experience, the only thing a pharmacy worker needs to know is drug groups, that is, drugs related to them in terms of effect or drug direction, and the main drugs in them. For example, there is a group of gastrointestinal drugs, some of the main drugs in this group would be Loperamide, Bisacodyl, Cerucal, Polysorb, Enterosgel. Of course, popular drugs that are often followed are remembered most quickly.

But if they are not remembered, pharmacists have long had tips, especially in good pharmacies with modern computers. We have 1C programs with instructions on groups of drugs, options for analogues and even brief information about cells where the drug is located in a particular pharmacy.

– You mentioned analogues. Many are sure that pharmacies especially insist that the buyer buys the goods more expensive, the active substances in the drugs are absolutely the same.

– Pharmacies also need to sell cheap drugs, so no one has the intention of selling anything expensive to the buyer. Another question is that this myth is somehow even an insult to the pharmacist, because by recommending a product from the “more expensive” category, he is trying to take care of your health and not “sucking” for its sake. making money like everyone else thinks.

Cheaper analogues of popular drugs are made from lower-quality raw materials, even if they have the same active ingredient as expensive drugs. And yes, lower quality drugs may not be as effective and cause more side effects. When using the same French Detralex instead of cheaper Venarus, the probability that the drug will work, the treatment will be “gentle”, and the risk of side effects will be minimized – almost one hundred percent.

And here it is not necessary to sin on pharmacists or manufacturers, you need to look at things logically. With rare exceptions, the price is lower not because of the packaging, but because of the quality. And by the way a pharmacist or pharmacist will always offer a cheaper option if you just ask. Although at first they will certainly present what is considered more effective. Unfortunately, it is often more expensive for savings buyers.

– Is it true that many prescription drugs, such as birth control pills, are distributed like this?

– That’s right, the same thing with painkillers. But this is only in Moscow and St. In the least controlled pharmacies in St. Petersburg, for example, you rarely see this. One way or another, it does exist, but often pharmacists are guided by something like a face check, paying attention to the situation and the severity of the drug.

For example, if a young and decent girl comes to a pharmacy that is obviously very painful and wants to sell her ampoules of Ketorol, she says that an ambulance pierced her with severe menstrual pain and asks what can be replaced. same potent, but not prescription, just if the pain is gone, some may sting and quit the medicine as the pills don’t help. Some won’t even be able to sell over-the-counter if a marginal one comes along. For example, some do not leave hawthorn and alcohol to alcoholics.

But in general, recipes are invented for a reason. Personally, I always prescribe medication just for them. The fact is that some especially smart moms buy some kind of self-prescribed antibiotic Amoxiclav for adults to treat a child with a cold, and they do not even realize that a large dose – for example, in tablets for adults -. even cause death.

– But what about nutritional supplements and vitamins that are constantly offered to customers in addition to medicines? They are almost always expensive.

– Each pharmacy network has its own brand, which includes some dietary supplements. There are contracts with medical representatives for shop design. These brands are often partnered with generic drugs, and the pharmacist takes a percentage of sales for certain drugs.

And yes, many pharmacy workers really want to “absorb” them or, as pharmacists and pharmacists say, “offer a comprehensive treatment.” However, especially with some serious illness, nothing will be offered that will not help.

Also, there is no need to treat dietary supplements so negatively. Supplements are clinically proven to be safer than some medications. Yes, these are not medicines, but pharmacists often offer dietary supplements only as a complex treatment, as an additional aid to the main treatment. And in this capacity, they sometimes work the same way they work in medicine. For example, people who have had chemotherapy often do not respond well to many drugs. However, probiotics and synbiotics, especially those created by the dietary supplement market, are suitable. Also, supplements help people who are very sensitive to many chemical components.

– When communicating with a pharmacist, how to understand that he is trying to “suck” a useless and expensive remedy?

“Unfortunately, you can’t if you don’t understand drugs.

Pharmacists may refer to terms you don’t know as well as expertise in this field. For example, I still have an education, I understand more than you. In general, the only thing that will save you is ignoring advice and arriving with ready-made appointments.

The same dietary supplements may be recommended by a doctor if preferred for you. And no, pharmacies do not pay doctors and do not make any contracts with them.

– Drugs advertised in pharmacies and useless – isn’t it a myth?

“Marketing plays an important role in drug sales today. The most famous “pacifiers” are Arbidol and Kagocel. There are questions about many other immunomodulators and antivirals. They are a kind of “half-dummy” because they do not work if the disease lasts more than two days, only as a preventive measure For example, there are also questions about Nosh-pe, advertised as an antispasmodic for menstrual pain, but it does not help them – non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are needed to eliminate them.

– They say that some drugs for headaches, such as paracetamol, should not be taken. This is true?

– Paracetamol is not prohibited, but it is not recommended to drink it constantly. For example, as well as Pentalgin, Nimesulide, Ketorol and other drugs. They only irritate the stomach. The thing is, any drug can be banned if there is an “if”. For this, you need to read the instructions to understand whether it is forbidden to drink this or that medicine with your health problems or to combine it with other medicines you are currently using.

One New Year’s Eve a man came into the pharmacy and threw Sildenafil (Viagra) in my face, you see, it didn’t help him. Moreover, he was drunk and only half an hour had passed since the purchase. If I had read the instructions, I would have known that the effect of the drug begins only 40-60 minutes after administration.

– What are the consequences of drinking an expired drug?

“Nothing special, just one person will eat chalk. The pills will not work in any way and will be excreted through the kidneys and liver. Despite this, I still do not recommend drinking it late, any pill affects our organs, and chemistry can harm even if it loses its properties.

What happens if you drink expired pills, why in pharmacies customers are always offered more expensive analogues of drugs, and how mothers fill children with antibiotics for adults, which can even lead to death, pharmacist Victoria Khvan told socialbites.ca in an interview.



Source: Gazeta

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