Health Ministry Signals More Flexible Approach on Prescription Rules

In other news from the health sector, the Ministry of Health and Wellness is taking a more flexible approach to the enforcement of prescription medication policies, following mounting public concern in recent weeks.  During a press conference held this morning, the Director of Public Health, Dr. Melissa Musa Diaz, indicated that while the regulations remain in place, there will be a more practical and balanced approach moving forward.  Dr. Musa Diaz made a direct appeal to pharmacists across the country, urging them to exercise professional judgment and responsibility when dispensing medications, particularly in cases where they are familiar with a patient’s prescription history.  

Dr. Melissa Diaz Musa, Director of Health and Wellness: “I would like to ask the pharmacists out there to utilize judgment. When a patient comes to you for a repeat prescription, you know your patient, you have seen your patient for months, you have been giving them prescription. Go ahead and dispense the prescription for your patient because we want people to continue taking their medication and we want people to have access. But we also want that the pharmacist educate, informs the patient of the importance of going back to a doctor, and the pharmacist should also be keeping files on their patients. The responsibilities for all of us. Pharmacists, yes, they’re asking for rights to do certain things but it comes with responsibility. The same way that we have to document when we see patients, we have to document what was the agreement. That is what we will be asking for the pharmacists. I would like to also mention that we will do a phased-in approach for general prescription meds and we’re going to give a 12-month phase in so that we have the opportunity to do the full patient information campaign and to meet with the pharmacists as well and to get buy-in from all parties that are involved in ensuring that patients can have access to care. I want to make it clear that we’re aware of the significance and the importance that role that that pharmacists play in health. Prescribing has responsibilities, but dispensing is extremely important. Pharmacists are our safety net. They explain to the patient, they talk about contraindications. And so we want to continue to ensure that we work closely with pharmacists. And in fact, after this interview, we’ll be meeting with the Pharmacy Association to discuss ways forward in terms of how this phased in approach the next 12 months what will be happening and what will be expected after the 12 months. We’re also meeting with the Belize Medical and Dental Association to discuss prescription trends and to remind doctors to put the refills.”

The move comes amid ongoing discussions about access to medication, with some members of the public expressing frustration over what they viewed as overly rigid enforcement of existing pharmaceutical laws.