Ministry should take campaign a stage further

The Public Health Ministry’s campaign to encourage people to dump their unused or expired medicine has been successful. Since the campaign was launched earlier this month, the ministry has received and destroyed more than 37 million tablets, valued at more than Bt70 million.

People can exchange expired medicine for eggs at more than 10,000 hospitals nationwide. The ministry will swap at least five eggs for all types of expired drugs, excluding herbal medicines. The campaign is aimed at raising awareness about the correct use of medicine. 

According to statistics, up to Bt100 billion is spent on medicine in Thailand each year. But most consumers lack proper knowledge of how to use drugs properly and how to avoid any negative affects that misuse can cause.

Judging by the volume of unused and expired medicine turned in so far, it can be concluded that the campaign has been a massive success. But, on the other hand, it shows that many people have a large amount of unused and expired drugs at home, with over-prescription likely a major cause.

The ministry is collecting information about pharmaceutical consumption from people who have taken advantage of the scheme. But the massive amount of drugs raises other questions. Why do people have such amounts of pharmaceuticals lying around unused, even though they might not need them? More crucially, how many people are aware of the possible negative health effects of taking drugs that have expired?

The authorities require manufacturers to place an expiration date on both prescription and over-the-counter medications, suggesting the length of time that the product will retain potency and be safe for use. Most drugs expire within three years. But many people still keep drugs in their cabinets long after the expiry dates.

It’s important that people get better educated about the use of medicine. Taking expired drugs can, for instance, exacerbate problems related to heart disease. 

Ignorance about expiration dates isn’t the only problem this successful campaign has revealed. Some people hoard drugs that can easily be bought over the counter. The likelihood is that these consumers are not properly informed about the effects of the drugs and the risks of self-medication.

Therefore, in addition to short-term schemes that grab public attention, the ministry will have to continue the momentum with long-term policies to raise awareness on this issue.

Some of the problems associated with self-medication can be fixed by providing better information to the public. However, some health centres and public hospitals are so crowded that the pharmacists have insufficient time to fully explain the correct dosage and the length of time that drugs remain safe.

In addition, insurance policies should also require greater control over drug use to ensure that the people are exposed only to the drugs they need. This not only prevents wastage but also avoids the careless use of medicine, which can lead to the more serious issue of drug abuse.

As we know, medication can have serious side effects if it is not consumed properly. And there is also the problem of over-prescription by doctors and health facilities that are more concerned about profit than the real wellbeing of their patients.

The egg trade-in policy is a good start in raising awareness. Inadequate knowledge and ill-advised consumption does not affect the cost of medicine but the health of individuals. But, at the individual level, the best solution to this problem is obviously to stay as healthy as you can and thus avoid the unnecessary use of medicines for as long as possible.