E-drug: Reply to Dr. Srinivas from Dr. Attaran (cont'd)
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My personal experience as a practising doctor in a developing country
(Uganda) is very close to what Dr. Srivinas described and most of my
colleagues are no better.
The suggestion by Dr. Attaran on the need to focus on training
doctors to be better prescibers worked for me after a short course in
Rational Drug Management. It is only then that I realised how I had
been an ignorant "partner in crime" after being influenced by endless
visits from drug marketeers. I am now more intolerant to the lies and
misinformation usually peddled about "new" wonder drugs.
The problem with this approach however is that most doctors in
private practice are unwilling to attend such CME courses (and what
is covered during basic medical training is still inadequate) ; and they
are the ones most frequently visited by the Drug Marketeers.
To be able to fight the injustice that stems from the patent system,
doctors (and other prescribers) in developing countries need to come
on board. I will boldly recommend any training in Rational Drug
management as a priority to all MOH and Medical councils who are
monitoring CME in our countries.
Dr. Cathy Kahima
PhD Student - Department of Tropical Hygiene and Public Health
University of Heidelberg, INF 324 D-69120,
Heidelberg, Germany
Tel: +49 6221 564885
Mobile: + 49
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