MAJ dismisses claims that wrong medicines being prescribed ( L - R ) Allwood-Anderson and Bailey

The head of the Medical Association of Jamaica (MAJ) has rejected suggestions by the Nurses Association of Jamaica (NAJ) that doctors are responsible for prescribing the wrong medication to patients.

Dr. Alverston Bailey, in a statement issued in response to a story published in The Gleaner yesterday, challenged NAJ President Edith Allwood-Anderson's claim that medication errors by local doctors are a cause for concern.

"It is essentially unjust, unfair and potentially libellous for anyone to posit the argument that all errors in prescription writing, dispensing, and consumption of drugs rest squarely on the shoulders of doctors, since all members of the health care team should and must play a critical role in ensuring that prescriptions conform to established standards of care," Dr. Bailey said in the statement.

Code of ethics

He stressed that prescriptions are written based on a doctor's years of training and code of ethics.

"All prescriptions follow a chain of custody - an essential process which audits the prescription for clarity, accuracy, efficacy, side effects, drug interactions and dosage - to minimise risks of errors," the MAJ head said.

Mrs. Allwood-Anderson told The Gleaner on Monday that she believed it was necessary to have "medical reviews" of drug prescriptions ordered by local doctors.

"The standard of prescription orders is insufficient and needs to be monitored," she said.

However yesterday the MAJ pointed out that, if the NAJ has incontestable proof that doctors are deliberately abusing their sacred duty to patients, then the evidence should be brought to the attention of both the MAJ and the Medical Council of Jamaica for the matter to be investigated.

He also stressed that the NAJ should work closely with the MAJ to guard the profession against any unethical practices that could undermine the quality of care offered to patients.