SERDANG - Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed today spoke out against a proposed plan to separate pharmacies from clinics, saying that it would pose a burden on patients and may endanger their lives.

Dr Mahathir, a former medical doctor, said unlike many clinics, most pharmacies and dispensaries did not operate around the clock which would make it difficult for patients who needed medication at night.

“When they are prescribed something at night, they would have to send someone out to the dispensary, which may be far away or closed.”

“The patient himself may be too ill to move so they would have to send someone to get the medicines for them. It takes time... in the meantime, he (the patient) might die.

“Sick people don’t follow the clock,” he told a press conference here.

Dr Mahathir said it was more cost-effective to maintain the present system of allowing doctors to dispense medication.

“I know, I was a doctor before. Patients often came to me at odd hours - 3am, 4am - so I had to carry my own stock of medicines with me so that I could immediately treat them.

“It’s harder for the patients if we are asked to obtain medicines from dispensaries.”

He also dismissed claims by the Malaysian Pharmaceutical Society that separating dispensaries from clinics would reduce the number of medication errors made by doctors as pharmacists would be able to double check the prescription.

“It’s a possible benefit, but let’s face it, pharmacists get sleepy and make mistakes too.”

The proposal is part of a new Pharmacy Bill, which is currently under review by the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

Source: New Straits Times