Kat Sanders writes

A Few Problems in the Pharmaceutical Industry

The pharmacy industry has come in for its share of criticism, mostly because of the undue importance being given to publicizing, prescribing and advertising drugs, especially the newer ones that are costlier than their predecessors. There are many benefits that the pharmaceutical industry can provide society, but only if they people concerned resolve the problems that plague this industry. They need to focus on:

· Prevention rather than cure: Medicines that prevent are currently not publicized as much as they could be, mainly because the profits come when people are not well. Not many people know about preventive medicine, but if they did, they would focus on not being affected by disease rather than trying to cure it after it strikes. The pharmaceutical industry must do more research into preventive medicines and the benefits they can provide for society.

· People rather than profits: Medicine and its related fields are meant to provide altruistic benefits towards society instead of being purely profit-driven. But with the huge amount of money that is being made in the pharmaceutical industry, it’s hard to keep your goals in sight without being overwhelmed by the immense profits. People should matter more than money, and drugs, especially the ones that are necessary to save lives, must be made available when necessary.

· Creating awareness about drug abuse and adverse reactions: Most people are not aware of the dangers of drug abuse and overdose, and this results in addictions and deaths that could have been prevented. Besides this, some people are allergic to certain drugs and suffer from adverse reactions if they are taken. The pharmaceutical industry should play a more active role in creating awareness of the ill-effects of drug abuse and overdose and also help people in dealing with the side-effects of prescription drugs.

· Preventing medication errors: More emphasis must be placed on ensuring that prescriptions are filled out correctly and that the right medicines and dosages are given to patients. Ensuring the safety and well-being of patients must be a top priority for pharmacists.

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This article is written by Kat Sanders, who regularly blogs on the topic of pharmacy technician certification at her blog The Pharm Tech Blog. She welcomes your comments and questions at her email address: katsanders25@gmail.com.