The ministry of health is going after pharmacies that sell prescription drugs without a prescription is in the works.
Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan told reporters Thursday the ministry would soon launch a sting operation by sending people posing as customers to pharmacies around the country to see if they can buy drugs without a prescription."Our pharmacies in Trinidad and Tobago, for the longest while, have been giving medications over the counter and then looking after the prescriptions thereafter," said Khan.
He said he is trying to put into place a system "where we have something similar to the mystery shoppers" who would go around to the different pharmacies. He said the "customers" would be "retired Customs officers, retired teachers and people of that ilk."
Khan said the penalty for selling drugs without the required prescription would be to have the pharmacy's licence suspended.
Speaking at the post cabinet media briefing, Khan also announced that the government would invest $128 million to upgrade the St James Radiotherapy Centre. He also said would would begin in a few days on the Oncology Centre at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex at Mt Hope.
The upgrade to the Radiotherapy Centre include state-of-the-art equipment for cancer treatment, a second operating theatre, an intensive care unit, separate male and female wards and upgrades to the physical environment.
He also said Cabinet has approved a note for a new Health Information Management System (HIMS) to begin an e-health service. Every computer in the health sector would be linked to this new system and patients would get unique identification cards.
He said he is trying to put into place a system "where we have something similar to the mystery shoppers" who would go around to the different pharmacies. He said the "customers" would be "retired Customs officers, retired teachers and people of that ilk."
Khan said the penalty for selling drugs without the required prescription would be to have the pharmacy's licence suspended.
Speaking at the post cabinet media briefing, Khan also announced that the government would invest $128 million to upgrade the St James Radiotherapy Centre. He also said would would begin in a few days on the Oncology Centre at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex at Mt Hope.
The upgrade to the Radiotherapy Centre include state-of-the-art equipment for cancer treatment, a second operating theatre, an intensive care unit, separate male and female wards and upgrades to the physical environment.
He also said Cabinet has approved a note for a new Health Information Management System (HIMS) to begin an e-health service. Every computer in the health sector would be linked to this new system and patients would get unique identification cards.
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