Medicines can heal, but they can also harm – African Business

Oluwatayo Akingbile was 20 years old in December 2017. He had lost a friend who believed he had malaria. He had also used an anti-malaria drug with no prescription and without testing. 

“We were university students, and my friend bought the drug on the counter at a pharmacy, and after taking the medication, he started complaining of unusual sweating and abdominal discomfort. 

We rushed him to school, but they later transferred his case to a tertiary facility due to the severity of his reaction. He never got better as he died three days later,” he said. 

Mr. Akingbile stated that he now understands the importance of getting prescriptions and tests done by experts before using any medication. 
 
“I often hear that drugs can have an adverse effect or lead to death when taken without prescriptions, but I did not know it was true until this happened. It taught me a lesson, and I educate people against self-medication when opportune to,” he said. 
 
Misuse/drug abuse 
 
Stanley Okonkwo’s use of over-the-counter medications has become a pastime, even though he is not ill. 
 
“I buy some over-the-counter drugs (pain relief) from hawkers during recreational (alcohol) drinking because people do. A friend helped me to stop using drugs, especially as they were a danger to my liver and kidneys. I think people misuse drugs because they do not understand the damaging effects they can have on their health,” he said.  
 
Abdullai Garko is a hawker who sells medicine in Abuja’s recreational parks. He said that he doesn’t know the drug’s composition but sells it because it’s a lucrative business. 
 
He stated that I don’t sell all medicines, but only pain-relieving medications and drugs in high demand. I don’t know if taking drugs without prescriptions from doctors can cause harm.  
 
Medication without harm 
 
According to the World Health Organization, 50% of all preventable harms in medical care can be attributed to medication harm.

To acknowledge the substantial burden and recognize the complexity of medication-related harm prevention and reduction, “Medication Safety” has been selected as the theme for World Patient Safety Day 2022.

World Patient Safety Day, which is celebrated annually on September 17, raises awareness and drives worldwide intervention to ensure the safety of patients.

 As regards the problem, this year’s Patient Safety Day campaign is envisaged to provide the needed push to consolidate the efforts of the existing WHO Global Patient Safety Challenge: Medication Without Harm, emphasizing the need to adopt a systems approach and promote safe medication practices to prevent medication errors and reduce medication-related harm.

Use in a degrading manner 

Buttressing the importance of reducing medication harm, a pharmacist in Abuja, Chidi Lawrence, warns of the grave dangers of using drugs without doctors’ prescriptions and not purchasing from certified pharmaceutical outlets.

Lawrence said that the chances of people misusing pharmacotherapy to an extent that it causes health risks is high.

“As such, there is a need for consistent sensitization to enlighten them about the harm in the misuse/abuse of drugs. Inappropriately using medicine can lead to side effects or poisoning. Drug misuse can cause it to lose its therapeutic effectiveness and cause harm to the body. It can also lead to drug resistance, which means that it will not work when necessary. 

To prevent patients from abusing or reusing drugs, prescriptions should be obtained from experts before they can be purchased.  There is a need to strengthen the medication system from prescribing, dispensing, usage and monitoring drug use to reduce the hazards caused by wrong medication,” he said. 

In a message to mark the 2022 World Patient Safety Day (WHO Regional Director for Africa), Dr Matshidiso Moeti stated that global estimates show that medication mistakes contribute to more than 3 million deaths each year.
 
She stated that although there is not much data available for Africa, there are many unsafe medication practices on the continent. 

 “Among low- and middle-income countries, the African Region has the highest prevalence of substandard and counterfeit medicines. Common practices to avoid include the administration of surplus medication at your home, the purchase of medication from pharmacies without consulting trained professionals and the use of outdated prescriptions to buy medication for a current illness. 

Meanwhile, WHO is working with the Member States to implement the WHO Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021–2030, and a regional patient safety strategy and road map are currently being developed to guide its implementation. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) – Nigeria.