Due to the majority of Medical Consultants in state hospitals giving expensive drug samples free of charge for their patients and requested them to buy them in private sector on completion of it, patients find it extremely difficult to bear the expenses of such expensive drugs it has been revealed.The free Drug Samples given to the patients are provided to Consultants by various Muti National Drug Companies aiming to promote their products.Although Patients are advised by the Consultants to purchase these Drugs from Private Sector after the given sample drug finishes, there are several drugs belongs to the same category available in State Hospital Pharmacies from different brands.For taking instance it has been revealed that some Ophthalmologists(Eye Surgeons) prescribed the patients to buy certain eye drop to bring down eye pressure for those in "Glaucoma" condition in continue basis after giving them a free sample of the drug to them.
But when contacted the Out Door Pharmacy in National Eye Hospital confirmed that the prescribed eye drop by the consultant is not available in the Pharmacy and a eye drop in same category with a different brand is available out there.However they said they will only issue this eye drop if the consultant prescribing it.Sri Lankan State Hospitals providing the Drugs for patients free of charge under free health care policy and this act is a violation of that policy according to the Health Sources.
Due to unawareness on the situation Patients are forced to buy the certain branded drug prescribed by the Consultant from the private sector even they cannot bear the cost of the price.
