I read with interest the letter written by Anthony Das entitled Big Pharma party sessions a disgrace . It is time that much of the inner workings of the bio-medical allopathic industry's to preserve its trade interest be laid bare and exposed to the people.
The hidden strategy to conceal the deleterious effects of unhealthy and unethical inbreeding between pharmaceutical drug barons, the regulatory authorities and the practitioners of a compromised dominating medical system must be let known to the people. These three groups are hand-in-glove and cite seemingly science-based reasons as excuses for them to perpetuate their system of a monopolised medical care delivery system.
The very fact that these three divisions must operate quite independently should be the guiding principle of the healing sciences, but unfortunately, the relationship of these divisions have been seriously distorted by purely business motives. One glaring weakness is the way the allopathic general practitioners have usurped the functions of the professionally-trained and registered pharmacist.
The allopathic doctor now diagnoses and then prescribes and dispenses the medicine produced by the Big Pharma companies. This is where a perfect situation is created to maximise profits, compromise quality and exploit consumers to the utmost .
Ironically the director-general of health seems to be chastising the pharmacists and other allied professionals not to 'play doctor' and orders the pharmacists to only recommend vitamins and supplements. Such a statement from a regulator of medical care system seems to betray the very foundation of a healing science. He is to oversee and regulate without any form of professional bias.
Historically, these two professional responsibilities had been separated to prevent misuse of prescribing and dispensing medicine in the interest of the patients. Long way back in 1231 AD, Emperor Frederick von Hohenstaufen issued a medical decree in the kingdom of Sicily. He directed that there should be a well-defined distinction between physicians and apothecaries (pharmacists). Frederick's decree provided a standard for all subsequent medical legislation, including the Basle's Apothecary's Oath.
Among others, the terms of the oath states '... and anyone who has, or who superintends an apothecary business must swear a special oath each year to the New Council, that no physicians owns any part or share of his business or of his medicines. And because we have learnt by experience that this is in public interest we desire that this arrangement be made absolutely permanent'.
Despite such historical importance given to the need to separate prescribing and dispensing, Malaysian health authorities are not doing anything to separate them. The general practitioners are playing pharmacist and pharmacists can only practice without their professional rights to dispense. All developed countries have separated them and even the developing countries have done so to protect their citizens from being exploited by GPs.
Adding salt to this medical wound is the allopathic authority trying to teach and regulate alternative and traditional healthcare practices. In imposing their allopathic system and chemical drug protocols upon the alternative and traditional medicine system - which they have hardly any proper knowledge - they have messed up and compromised the quality of medical care in the country.
We urge the people to arise and question this kind of distorted, one-sided healthcare system and call for a reformation of the medical care service which is professionally truthful, affordable and uncompromised.
