Unimycin at Rexidol: Mag-asawang Gamot para sa Trangkaso

Ang mag-asawang gamot sa trangkaso ay popular na noong 70's. Ito ang tambalang Unimycin at Rexidol, parehong produkto ng Unilab or United laboratories. Habang ang Rexidol ay nasa merkado pa bilang Rexidol Forte (paracetamol + caffeine), ang Unimycin ay wala na. Huli itong napasama sa Philippine essential drug list noong taong 2007.

Philippine Essential Drug List

Ang generic or chemical name ng Rexidol noon ay paracetamol pa without the caffeine. Ang paracetamol bilang analgesic ay isang mild pain reliever. Para ito sa karaniwang sakit ng ulo, katawan, migraine, backache atbp. Isa rin itong antipyretic, kaya lunas din ito para sa lagnat.

Tetracycline ang generic name ng Unimycin. Isa itong broad spectrum antibiotic na mas ginagamit sa skin infections katulad ng acne at ginagamit din as a combination drug sa malaria.

Bakit hindi na pwedeng bilhin sa botika?

Walang problema sa paracetamol dahil ito ay isang otc medicine. 

Pero ang tetracycline bilang isang antibiotic or antibacterial ay prescription medicine at ang mga Rx medicine partikular ang mga antibiotic ay mahigpit na ipinagbabawal ng FDA na ipagbili ng walang reseta ng doctor. 

Pamalit sa mag-asawang gamot

May mga otc meds na pwedeng bilhin base sa mga symptoms ng trangkaso:

• Para sa lagnat (paracetamol) 1 tab kada 4 na oras, kung wala na ang lagnat; itigil na ang pag-inom nito.

• Para sa sakit ng katawan (low dose ibuprofen, mefenamic, combination ng paracetamol at ibuprofen) 1 tab 3 beses maghapon, kung hindi na masakit ang katawan; itigil na ito.

• Para sa sipon (commercial decongestant or antihistamines) pa-advice sa pharmacist or read the label for the instructions.*May mga cold remedies na nakaka-trigger ng asthma.

• Para sa ubo (commercial cough formulas) pa-advice sa pharmacist or read the label for the instructions. *May mga cough remedies din na nakaka-trigger ng asthma.

• Para sa pananakit ng lalamunan (lozenges) pa-advice sa pharmacist or read the label for the instructions.

Pwedeng mag-take ng vitamins particular ‘yung may  vitamin C at zinc, palalakasin nito ang immune system. Ang mga prutas katulad ng mansanas, papaya at saging ay makakapagpalakas din ng resistensya. 

Hindi ginagamot ng antibiotics ang flu or trangkaso dahil ito po ay sanhi ng virus. 

Ito ay kusang gumagaling pero para may mga taong mahina ang resistensya o katawan. Posibleng lumala ang kumplikasyon para sa kanila. Kaya dapat na magpa-check up na lang sa doctor kung nahirapan na sa sakit.

Finally

Naiitambal din sa amoxicillin ang paracetamol bilang mag-asawang gamot. Mabuti na lang naghigpit na talaga ang FDA sa isyung ito. Para sa inyong kalusugan, mas makabubuting itanim sa isipan na ang antibiotic ay hindi laging solusyon sa karamdaman.

Stay healthy and stay safe!

Antibiotics Dispensing Dilemma

My colleagues and I finally agreed that we should NOT  TOTALLY  give antibiotics without prescriptions anymore. Not only that we are apt to endanger the health of people,  our drugstore is likely to pay its penalty once we are busted by the FDA, for not complying.

Unfortunately, we tend to encounter wholesalers from time to time. These usually comprise of small sari-sari stores who also sell emergency medications - like paracetamol, a cough-cold preparation, anti-diarrheal medicine, antacid etc. Emergency medications are generally OTC or Over-the- Counter meds. However, people are becoming accustomed to antibiotics like amoxicillin, cloxacillin, erythromycin and others as OTC as well.

For regular customers, it is easy not to give them antibiotics if they do not have a written order. But, for wholesalers who buy an item per box, dispensing a 100pcs of antibiotics to them can be tempting. And to think, most of them have no idea about  antibiotics and their hazards.

It's quite a dilemma for someone who wants to make profit. Then again, we will be breaking our own rules.

Sometimes, I wish that I'm selling clothes instead. Of course, I'm joking.

phoenix35 05 21 14

*Update as of 2017: NO RX NO ANTIBIOTICS

When Antibiotics Wouldn't Work Anymore

In time, simple wounds cannot be treated by an ordinary antibiotic. Sadly, drug manufacturers won't develop new antibiotics anymore. So, what can we do if this happens?

In the Philippines, a lot of drugstores are becoming strict concerning antibiotic dispensing. The 'no prescription, no dispensing policy' is slowly being practiced. While people particularly the older generations are questioning this action (mentioning the older days), there are those that understands the consequences of an antibiotic misuse. With the latter type of individuals, the antibiotics campaign can indeed work. 

Image by the author

Unfortunately, since a drugstore is still categorized as a business establishment, there are some pharmacies that ignore the law of prescription drug dispensing. For a small price, they will dispense antibiotics. With this, people won't take the antibiotic dangers seriously.  If one drugstore won't give them antibiotics, they will only buy from another drugstore then to the next. Until, some greedy pharmacy dispenses their order.

It is sad to reflect upon the situation when an antibiotic won't work for a simple infection. And worst, to realize that even the strongest antibiotic won't cure a scratch. Death can only be the option for this.

Don't self medicate yourself with antibiotics. Only registered doctors can diagnose your disease, if you do have one. Please, spread the word. Finally, don't feel bad at a pharmacy for not dispensing antibiotics at your own request.

phoenix35 06 20 14