'Most medication not needed'
Thais consume too much medicine and pay too much for it, a member of a panel set up to review the National Essential Drugs List said yesterday.
Assoc Prof Piya Netrwichien said Thais spent Bt50 billion a year on the more than 900 drugs on the essential medicines list.Spending on drugs amounted to about 35 per cent of the health budget, compared to 10-20 per cent in most developing countries, Piya said. However, Thais' standard of health was no better despite the higher spending, which often went towards inappropriate and unnecessary medicines, Piya said. These medicines are too expensive, the doctor added. According to the World Health Organisation, only 50 per cent of patients consume drugs properly, Piya said.
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