doctors overprescribing!!

[scoobydoo]

are there any doctors in singapore who dont over prescribe????
i ahve been thrice and have been given more than 7 meds on each occasion for something as random as a cold cough fever or a stomach bug!!
would really appreciate any recommendations for a "normal" gp!

[sundaymorningstaple]

One of the known problems here in Singapore and the authorities are starting to finally take notice of it finally. The ability of a doctor here to both prescribe AND dispense drugs has them on the hook of pharmaceutical companies who obviously have their ways of making the pushing of "their" brands of pills a lucrative proposition. Therefore lots more than what you need. The needs the money for their Golfing Memberships!

[Gypsy Queen]

However saying all of that it takes half the time to get better than it did in the uk so I am all for the cocktails they push as it means i feel fabulous in double the time!

[Segun2]

Gypsy Queen
However saying all of that it takes half the time to get better than it did in the uk so I am all for the cocktails they push as it means i feel fabulous in double the time! Smile

I don't quite agree, because over-medicating can have negative effects on your body in the long run. Your liver and kidney can be in a peril if you tend to take cocktailed meds for even a simple illness like cough, minor flu, or fever, and may diminish your body's natural defense against diseases because it got used to letting the drugs do the fight.

sundaymorningstaple
The ability of a doctor here to both prescribe AND dispense drugs has them on the hook of pharmaceutical companies who obviously have their ways of making the pushing of "their" brands of pills a lucrative proposition.

I can't agree more with you , some doctors are just some selfish and insincere people who are out there to make money for themselves by being prescription-happy. Here's another article that I've read: Doctors might be over-prescribing drugs to patients. This kind of issues seriously make me concerned of the credibility of some doctors... It's quite rare to see nowadays a healthcare practitioners that are genuinely devoted to helping out people who are suffering, and it's sad when a professional I seek out to help alleviate my illness makes me wait for hours in discomfort and simply shoves a prescription in my face in a few minutes then turn a cold shoulder for some other business. How could anyone build a confidence for a doctor like that?

[taxico]

if you feel the doctor is prescribing something you don't need, exercise your right to buy your medication elsewhere.

ask for a prescription and have it filled at a pharmacy. it may cost a little bit more (especially if the pharmacist only stocks has brand name drugs or no generics are available yet) but you end up taking less medication than required.

pharmacists in singapore are also available to dispense advice on the medication you're buying from them. just ask!

there are also pills which are NOT MEDICATION but supplements which are, for some doctors, regularly prescribed for certain "ailments."

for a variety of reasons, most singaporeans find it acceptable to pay for pills that they may or may not need. you do not need to behave like them!

ask what medicine the doctor is prescribing and why you should take them - it's his/her job! if you hear him/her talk about something you already have (usually anti-pyretics and antacids) then tell him you still have some and it has not expired yet.

if he/she refuses, then ask for a prescription instead and only fill out what you need elsewhere.

THIS DOES NOT MEAN you have to talk down to doctors - most doctors don't know if you have or don't have the medication you require... be polite. it helps.

[poodlek]

Since medicine is so cheap here (about 1/4 of what it costs back home) I usually just take it all home and google what pill is for what and take what I feel I truly need. I started this because back home the pharmacy always includes a booklet on each medicine with all the relevant info (dosage, side effects, contraindications, possible harmful interactions with other drugs, etc) that aren't provided here, so I wanted to be sure for myself before I ingested anything. The rest goes in a drawer for some future use. The redundant meds for me have usually been pain killers or antacids prescribed to counteract the side effects of another medication, both of which can be useful to have in the cabinet.

That said, for my son's check ups and my less immediate medical needs I have been going to http://www.chi-health.com.sg/. They have a team of more expat-oriented doctors and other healthcare professionals and seem less prone to throwing piles of medicine in your lap.

[taxico]

...The redundant meds for me have usually been pain killers or antacids prescribed to counteract the side effects of another medication, both of which can be useful to have in the cabinet.

...They have a team of more expat-oriented doctors and other healthcare professionals and seem less prone to throwing piles of medicine in your lap.

unfortunately this medicine hoarding habit usually means the patient ends up having (common) expired and thus less effective medicine.

as such, pharmacists and doctors tend to not encourage any keeping of medicine, especially opened bottles or pills that are not individually blister packed; usually generics.

with the exception of some japanese and korean patients that are averse to a certain medications/treatments (ie, only available at specialized places like Japan Green Hospital), i personally do not see a need to refer any expat to visit an expat clinic.

all unconditionally registered doctors practicing in singapore are fully capable and equipped to treat almost any patient with common health problems.

a specialized expat clinic/hospital usually DOES NOT treat people that do not hold passports from that country. ie, a place like the afore-mentioned Japan Green Hospital will not treat an englishman or a singaporean UNLESS a singapore doctor is on duty that day, only japanese citizens.

as such, their doctors are empowered to use procedures and treatments which are not habitually/commonly adopted by any other medical establishments in singapore.

however these places, including CHI, usually have AT LEAST ONE singaporean doctor (he does not need to have graduated from a singapore medical school) on staff.

[poodlek]

unfortunately this medicine hoarding habit usually means the patient ends up having (common) expired and thus less effective medicine.

as such, pharmacists and doctors tend to not encourage any keeping of medicine, especially opened bottles or pills that are not individually blister packed; usually generics.

I know better than to take expired medicine! That's why dates are printed on the packets/blister packs. And except for one instance (capsules I was given to prevent contractions and premature labour, of which I consumed all in a timely manner) all of the medicine I've been given has been in blister packed. The surplus has been generic forms of commonly available over the counter drugs. Typical stuff you'd see in any person's medicine cabinet.

all unconditionally registered doctors practicing in singapore are fully capable and equipped to treat almost any patient with common health problems.

This would seem true on the surface, but the GPs I have been to here have 3/4 times referred me to a specialist for a problem that back home would have been solved in the office. I prefer not to waste my time and money for simple things, which is why I prefer the docs at CHI. It's a one-stop shop. If I have an acute problem I have no issues with seeing a local doctor. Anyway, OP asked for recommendations, I gave one.