Very interesting read...or shall I say healthy discussion on the pharamaceutical company, the profession once I belonged to.
Chicago-Bull,
Do I know you? Your thoughts sound very familiar. Of course, you are way senior than me in the profession. I worked in the feild for about 3 yrs, not as a pharamcist but very closely related. I would love to talk to you and learn more from you about the regulations that controls the drug distribution and sale.
As far as my experience goes, other than the major drug stores near by the hospitals or the drug store within the hospital, virtually no regulation exits in the druggist/chemist store. I have seen the shopkeeper( I am referring to the one who sells drugs and technically are pharamacist), sell medications without prescriptions. Most of the times, due to socio-economic status, people just ask the drug seller the drug they wanted.....by that the symptoms they have, and the druggist sale the medication without any prescrition. Lots of cough-syrups which has high percent of codine and the sedatives are sold without prescriptions.
On the other had, drugs are substitued as far as brand goes. There is always competition between the pharmaceutical companys for thier sales, and the drug seller is not reluctant to substitute the prescribed medicine with generic brand as they would get more bonus from the pharmaceutical company.
Unhealthy competition between the pharmaceutical companies was sky-rocketing in Nepal couple years(four) back and I can imagine it might have been worse now.
Goodjob,
Above information is soley based on my personal experience. If you want any specific questions anwered, I would be more than happy to hep you out.