Social and Economic Concerns on Medication

     There are interesting medical facts that we should know why the medical diagnosis and treatment failed to recover the health of the patient. The other trouble from the medical and social concerns may result to complications of patient that will double the medical expenses in the medicine, laboratory fees, hospital fees, physicians fees and other unforeseen expenses.

      The usual economic concern of the patient is their ability to pay the corresponding effective therapeutic dosage of the prescribed drugs. The low income class (poor patients) may always have the financial problems to sustain the prescribed dosage of the drugs. There are also observations that generic drugs although very cheap may still have problems as to the effectiveness in its medication and treatment of the poor patient. There are expensive drugs prescribed by physicians yet you will find that the price commensurate for the faster recovery and treatment of patients when compared to those least expensive drugs. It seems that the economic response may seem to follow that high price on drugs, laboratory fees, user fees, and other economic expenses translate a better chance for the fast health recovery of the patients.

     These are also the seven(7) social problems of patients as to the unintentional mistakes in medication :

1.The prescribed duration has not been followed by the patient.

      The physician usually provides the information in taking the drugs whether before or after meal, 3x a day, before you go to sleep and etc. Sometimes the special instruction like “shake well before using” has not been done during the medication. The patient must follow strictly in the administration of drug. There are no economic implications on the prescribed duration of drugs. The patient may not have any intention not to follow the instruction of the physician on the proper dosage of drugs. The possible cause of this is communication barrier, age and even education of the patient.

2.The age ,weight and physiologic response of the patient that may affect the effectiveness on the desired dosage of the medicine.

      Although, age and weight have been noted there are still miscalculation by the physician about the right medical dosage of the drug. The patient may find out this by the physical symptoms and complications of the illness. The physiological response of age may be the factor to consider in the following of instruction and direction on the prescribe dosage of the drugs. Other physiologic response of the body may affect the effectiveness of the drug.

3.The untruthful response on the medical interview of patient.

      There are patients specially children and teenagers would not tell the exact physical diagnosis during the interview of the physician. Make sure that the parent or guardian may tell the exact sentiment of the patient. The fear of patients may result to a harmful prescription of drugs.

4.The wrong medical diagnosis as other physical examinations because of physiological, hereditary and environmental response.

      The very critical part in the diagnosis of patient is the unforeseen biological response in the in take of medicine. The usual response to this is in the diagnosis of “allergy”. It may also result to some physiological response that might affect the medical treatment.

5.The defective medical facilities and equipment

      There are cases wherein electronic failures may result to wrong diagnosis to the patients. The maintenance of the medical equipment and facilities may in some way poses threat to the treatment of diseases if not properly maintained by the hospital.

6.The education and income of the patient

     Most often the self-medication of patient is done because of the money needed to buy expensive medicine. Sometimes they cannot continue to sustain the duration of treatment because they don’t have enough money to buy the drug. They probably continue the duration and administration on the dosage of the drug but they reduce the medicine intake.

7.The specialization ,training and mental competence of the physician

      Sometimes patients would like to have second opinion as to the medical diagnosis of the doctor. There are instances that even doctors may commit mistakes in the prescription of the right drugs for the patient. They even consider the mental competence on the basis of the accurate treatment made by the physicians in the long years of medical service.

      A good doctor must find enough time to communicate to the patients in all angles and dimensions about the physical, hereditary, biological and even environmental responses of the patient. The best doctor may also continue to educate and learn more things on the latest medical breakthrough including the modern technology that is now responding to better health care.

      However, the introduction of new medical technologies and drugs may also affect the economic value of the products and the services provided. Hence, there is a possibility of the increasing prices of medicines including the medical laboratory fees as a result on the purchase of modern medical equipment in the hospital.