Farmacia's

jrf

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Jan 9, 2005
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Are the farmacia's licensed? Does anyone know what criteria is needed for these to be open? It is so easy to purchase just about any drug there.
 

GringoCArlos

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Not only are pharmaceuticals easy to get, but lots of farmacias also deliver. It's great when you are sick, and it's part of what makes this country so great, compared to other places.

Sorry if I don't know about licensing, etc but I would lead the fight to oppose any change in how things currently are here.
 

ricktoronto

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Out of curiosity if the government decided to do that just how would you lead the charge? Start a coup?
 

sunshine_79

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jrf said:
Are the farmacia's licensed? Does anyone know what criteria is needed for these to be open? It is so easy to purchase just about any drug there.

I'm not exactly sure how the licensing requirements for the pharmaceutical industry (if any) work. I do know that a large portion of the drugs in the farmacias are imported from other countries, mainly Spain, Brazil and Australia.

Check out this link for a little more info on the topic, it might be of help to you.

IFPMA
 

GringoCArlos

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Well Rick, how long would any change in the laws like this stand up, if the poor Dominicans found out that they would now have to go see a doctor, spending the few pesos they have to first get a receta before they could then save up more money to go and buy the darned medicine in the first place. The pharmacist is usually the poor's "doctor" in the DR.

Ability to buy ANY medicine is a big enough obstacle to the poor. Adding cost to their plight won't hold up in the D.R., and people like me get to enjoy the freedom of bypassing the doctors.
 

HOWMAR

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GringoCArlos said:
Not only are pharmaceuticals easy to get, but lots of farmacias also deliver. It's great when you are sick, and it's part of what makes this country so great, compared to other places..
That's fine when you are using a gringo's level of education and experience to make your own medical decisions, but that is not the case for many of the locals. It is bad enough that there are many poorly trained doctors here but add to that pharmacy personnel (pharmacists?) dispensing medications with zero medical training. We make decisions on which anti-hypertensive or antibiotic to take based on our past experience with competant medical providers. Here they make the decision by which medicine the pharmacist recommends, has in stock and is cheapest.
 

ricktoronto

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Jan 9, 2002
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GringoCArlos said:
Well Rick, how long would any change in the laws like this stand up, if the poor Dominicans found out that they would now have to go see a doctor, spending the few pesos they have to first get a receta before they could then save up more money to go and buy the darned medicine in the first place. The pharmacist is usually the poor's "doctor" in the DR.

Ability to buy ANY medicine is a big enough obstacle to the poor. Adding cost to their plight won't hold up in the D.R., and people like me get to enjoy the freedom of bypassing the doctors.

A benefit is that you'd have people stop creating antibiotic resistant bacteria, less people ruining their bodies with steroids. You would maybe force them to buy drugs that were effective, not counterfeit, and not stored in blistering heat as to reduce or eliminate their efficacy and avoid selling people drugs they can't use or don't need and lower the risk of side-effects as well.
 

GringoCArlos

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Meaning, you want the government to FORCE people to do for themselves what the government (whoever the he** that is) thinks is best for every individual????

This is why most governments are already f***d up. Why should I be responsible for whatever another person wants to do or not to do, and VICE VERSA?

Whatever happened to personal responsibility? For a minor, the only person who should be allowed to make their choices are their parents, not another set of laws or regulations, or yet another huacal.

No matter how ignorant, or stupid, or backwards people may think some other people are in this wonderful country, they should not assume to shoulder the reponsibility, or the right, to tell other people how or what to do in their lives , as long as it doesn't affect others.

(edited to soften my initial response)
 
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ricktoronto

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So YOUR telling the people that want to regulate pharmacies (if they ever do that which they probably won't) they can't do that is not assuming the same thing, just because it is your cause? It must be uncomfortable talking out of both sides of one mouth like that.

Note overuse of antibiotics creates resistant strains in the population that affects the innocent who get sick and could have used antibiotics prior to abuse in volume. So it DOES affect others. As do loonies on steroids that act violently, people who steal to buy drugs they are addicted to etc....
 

jrf

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Coup? No...

No, for me I actually like the easy access-however, am a bit more learned.

No, would not want it regulated or necessarily governed-but was really a question regarding what or who would take responsibility of a "mistake".
In a country where Vic's rub seems to be a cure-all. And yes, I do agree that the overuse of antibiotics leading to more and more problems-but I doubt that the typical Dominicano is going to have that problem. Since, as you say, they will be too busy thieving to find the cash.
 

HOWMAR

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jrf said:
And yes, I do agree that the overuse of antibiotics leading to more and more problems-but I doubt that the typical Dominicano is going to have that problem. Since, as you say, they will be too busy thieving to find the cash.
I don't think ricktoronto said that the typical Dominican was busy thieving to find the cash. Is that your viewpoint?
 

Mirador

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for years, my great uncle had the only pharmacy in Barahona, a thriving business indeed, with which he raised his family with comfort and even luxury. I always thought he was a licensed pharmacist, however, I found out that he hardly made it through high school education, and that he payed a licensed pharmacist to sign the necessary papers. One of his daughters, is a licensed medical doctor and pediatrician, and the other, my cousin Sonia, who owns Farmacia Churchill (on the avenue with the same name in SD) is in fact a licensed pharmacist. There's a law that says that no two pharmacies can be closer than 400 meters. However, this is not enforced, Actually, I'm on short walking distance to at least 10 pharmacies, some almost next to each other. WARNING!- Like in any other business, there are unscrupulous operators, and I strongly recommend checking every purchase for expiration date, tampering, and even outright falsification of name brands and products.
 

jrf

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Not my viewpoint at all

No, that is not my viewpoint-I have a lot of respect and admiration for Dominicanos and Haitianos as well for that matter.

The information in Mirador's reply was very helpful.

Thank you.
 
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while i realize that the pharmacies there have a lot of drug you can buy over the counter that you cant in america, I dont think that all the phamacy personel know what they are completely talkign about. I had some fluid behind one of my eardrums. I didnt have any pain..( yet) so I asked if they had anything... the guy gave me two prescriptions each for three times a day for five days. I recognize the name of one of them as well.....but i didnt know its use. he said he figured I had an inner ear infection...well my ear is way worse than when I asked for the prescription ...5 days later...his prescription did nothing to help me. It was a waste of time i think......he might have been close!......my point is ultimately you cant rely on the phamacist in the DR to help you choose your medication.....in america you probably could..even though they arent allowed to despense per their opinion.............

that said when i go back i am gonna stock pile things that i may want prescriptions for ...while I am there....

yeah i know I didnt help answer the question

bob
 

carina

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Mirador said:
for years, my great uncle had the only pharmacy in Barahona, a thriving business indeed, with which he raised his family with comfort and even luxury. I always thought he was a licensed pharmacist, however, I found out that he hardly made it through high school education, and that he payed a licensed pharmacist to sign the necessary papers. One of his daughters, is a licensed medical doctor and pediatrician, and the other, my cousin Sonia, who owns Farmacia Churchill (on the avenue with the same name in SD) is in fact a licensed pharmacist. There's a law that says that no two pharmacies can be closer than 400 meters. However, this is not enforced, Actually, I'm on short walking distance to at least 10 pharmacies, some almost next to each other. WARNING!- Like in any other business, there are unscrupulous operators, and I strongly recommend checking every purchase for expiration date, tampering, and even outright falsification of name brands and products.

I couldn?t agree more to your last sentence.
There are really good business people out there in this area to, that know what they are doing, and that keep up with education in the area.
And there are those who don?t.

We also need to remember that in DR culture comes in to areas of work as well, meaning most businesses ( especially those with long working hours ) are family run. This means 1 of the family can be a licensed pharmacist, and the rest of the children, family members, relatives etc working in the pharmacy is not.
If you live here, get to know your phamacist, a good one is a treasure to know.

"My pharmacist" is a licensed one ( mother in the family), her husband is a dentist in the house beside, of which they own both. They have their children and a relative working there are well, who has absolutely nothing to do with the field of Pharmacies, other than work there.
 

indiana16

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I think it's great that you can get drugs without a prescription.This system makes sense because there are a lot of poor people in DR who can't afford to be paying doctors just to get a prescription.
I noticed that the medication in DR is more effective than in the states.That's probably because they have less regulation when preparing medications. Also when you have poor people in a country, you want to make strong medications so that people get well and don't have to spend money on doctor visits.
 

Chirimoya

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There's a point where you stop giving people the benefit of the doubt. I've now reached it with indiana16.
 

HOWMAR

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indiana16 said:
cription.
I noticed that the medication in DR is more effective than in the states.That's probably because they have less regulation when preparing medications. .
Am I going to have to point out every time you don't know what the h*ll you are talking about? Due to the lack of regulation many pharmacies are selling counterfit or outdated medications. BTW very few medications are produced in the DR, almost all are imported.