Expat’s death sparks warning against drug sale without prescriptions

The Ministry of Health has warned pharmacists not to sell drugs without a doctor’s prescription. This follows the death of a Pakistani expatriate who was administered an injection at a pharmacy without the necessary paperwork.
Siraj Al-Hamdan, a spokesperson of the ministry in Taif, told Arab News that pharmacists found selling prescription drugs without a doctor’s approval would face tough penalties.
He said the health authorities are examining the body to determine the cause of death.
The man died in Taif after a pharmacist ordered a pharmacy worker, not authorized to prescribe medicine or give medical advice, to give him an injection.
“The police have registered the case and closed down the pharmacy. A forensic examination is under way to determine the cause of the man’s death. We’re expecting the forensic report this week,” he said.
Al-Hamdan said that the Egyptian pharmacist at the shop advised the Pakistani patient to get the injection, which was administered by a Bangladeshi laborer working at the pharmacy.
The Taif Police Department has confirmed the death, the closure of the pharmacy, and the launch of an investigation.
The victim, who had arrived recently in the Kingdom, was suffering from a cold and fever and apparently approached the pharmacy after spotting a Bangladeshi worker inside. He had supposedly thought it would be easier to communicate with the Bangladeshi worker in his native language.
Many Asian expatriates in the Kingdom tend to turn to polyclinics, where mostly South Asian expatriates are employed, to overcome the language barrier.
Poor handwriting on prescriptions, which are misread by pharmacists, often result in patients acquiring the wrong medicine, say experts.
According to a study conducted by King Saud University and the Health Ministry, about 30 percent of medicines are given to people by pharmacies in Riyadh without a medical prescription.
“This phenomenon will have a dangerous effect on patients,” the study said. It also found that people purchase medicine without prescriptions because they do not want to pay doctors’ fees. About 25 percent of patients told the researchers that this was not a good idea.