Modern Quack-doctors

 A quack-doctor or an albularyo is the Philippine version for the Native American Indians, ‘Shaman’ or the witch-doctor in Africa. They are also known to drive evil spirits away and cure people through spells, holy oil and medicinal plants.

Modern medicine may have influenced the Philippines with the finest medical care and advanced approach in treatment, however there are still some provinces that rely on quack-doctors. Instead of seeing a real physician, they wait in line to be diagnosed by an albularyo. No fees required here but donations. Quack-doctors claim that their healing power come from divine entities that it is a service for them to help those in need without asking for money.

There is nothing wrong in having faith on these spiritual healers. Their practice has been beneficial throughout the centuries. The bad thing about it is when quack-doctors prescribe a synthetic drug.

Quack-doctors writing Rx?

It was a month ago when I first received a prescription with two medications written on it – a Relestal (Dicycloverine) intended for stomach pain and a Bactrim (Cotrimoxazole) an antibiotic usually indicated for UTI. The drug descriptions and directions were written wrong. Dicycloverine has an incorrect strength of 50mg instead of 10mg. Cotrimoxazole on the other hand is requested as 350mg when its available strength are only 400 and 800. Dicycloverine has the right dosage to be taken three times a day. However, Cotrimoxazole was directed wrong. The prescriber noted it to be taken three times a day instead of twice a day only. Physicians tend to write mistake from time to time, but looking at the prescription again we discovered no signature below the drug order.

‘It’s from an albularyo,’ the customer explained.

Wow! I wanted to say. Fascinated and at the same time horrified by the customers information. But for formality’s sake, I just smiled and said, ‘OK.’

We gave the Dicycloverine 10 mg since it is the only thing available, and then asked about the age of the patient. He was an adult so we gave him the right strength for his age. So problems solved.

Concerns

The drug order cited is considered as an Impossible or Violative prescription. This type is not to be filled. In the Philippines, Violative prescription is to be confiscated by drugstore outlets and then reported to the Department of Health for them to notify the prescriber.

However, this regulation is not normally practiced. Drugstore employees are likely to analyze the prescription instead, by asking the patient about their ailment. If the patient or customer is not sure about their medication, the pharmacy tends to call on the doctor or send the patient back to the prescriber. But if the drug order won’t be clarified in situations like the physician is not available anymore, then that is the end of it.

The patient suffers the most, especially when he is really in need of his medication. However in case of prescriptions coming from quack-doctors, both the patient and the drugstore suffer the headache.

The prescription – redefined

A prescription refers to a written drug order issued by doctors, dentist, vet and nurses. But it seems like; the quack-doctor has been an addition nowadays. And to think these people are not real doctors.

Modern medicine respects the old practice. On the contrary, quack-doctors prescribing synthetic remedy can be alarming. Not only that their impossible prescription frustrates the buyer and the pharmacy, they also endanger the patient by their lack of information on synthetic drugs.

Then again, a quack-doctor’s healing power is based on faith. Believers get cured even with ordinary water. Let’s just hope no harm befalls upon these patients.