Patients at a major hospital in HMC City have complained that at least one doctor was misdiagnosing, overprescribing and ordering pointless tests, forcing them to struggle to pay for unnecessary medicines and treatment so staff can earn commissions from drug firms.
A wrong prescription
A 36-year-old female patient from Go Vap District, who attended the Examination Ward of Nhan Dan 15 Hospital (115 People’s Hospital), said she was asked by one doctor to undergo an X-ray of her nasal cavity, which revealed no medical problem. But the doctor then diagnosed “acute sinusitis” and “cerebral vascular insufficiency,” and prescribed five medicines and antibiotics.
The same situation was alleged by several other patients treated by the same doctor, whose diagnosis in each case was allegedly not borne out by examination.
Some female patients were allegedly diagnosed with male ailments, such as relating to the prostrate, and were prescribed treatment with expensive antibiotics.
In one morning alone, the doctor examined 23 people and 15 were prescribed antibiotics costing millions of VND.
Doctors are often offered commissions of 10-20 percent by pharmaceutical companies for prescribing their drugs.
“Overprescription is rather popular in Vietnam. It’s necessary to check the real purposes of such prescriptions, whether it is for the patient’s benefits or for commissions,” one doctor at a major hospital in HCMC City said on condition of anonymity.
A pharmacy expert in the city said that under the current regulation all prescriptions are reviewed by a council of science at the hospital to ensure there is no overprescribing or abuse of expensive foreign medicines.
“Overprescription would not only cost patients much, but also cause drug resistance,” the pharmacist said.
Leaders of the 115 People’s Hospital said they were unaware of the situation and would conduct an investigation.
Dr. Luong Ngoc Khue, Director of the Ministry of Health’s Medical Checkup Management Department, said overprescription is common at several hospitals in Vietnam. The ministry has issued several regulations to improve the sitution. Any cases of violations would be properly addressed.
Đăng ký: VietNam News
