We refer to Mr Ng Chee Kheon’s letter, “Polyclinics should relax proscriptions on prescriptions” (April 8).
At the National Healthcare Group Polyclinics (NHGP), we place emphasis on patient safety; the six months validity period is a precaution we put in place to ensure medication safety when purchases are done outside of our pharmacies.
The patient’s state of health may change and it may be necessary to seek a doctor’s advice before continuing with the same prescription.
Within NHGP, our staff conduct checks through the system to ascertain the active medication list or to clarify with the doctor on the spot. When purchasing from external pharmacies, access to medical history may not always be readily available.
However, we have taken note of Mr Ng’s feedback and will do a review, so that patients will be able to enjoy the same convenience when buying from other pharmacies, such as in public hospitals, where their medical history can be accessed.
Patients can also buy in shorter duration for better affordability.
We thank Mr Ng for his feedback.
At the National Healthcare Group Polyclinics (NHGP), we place emphasis on patient safety; the six months validity period is a precaution we put in place to ensure medication safety when purchases are done outside of our pharmacies.
The patient’s state of health may change and it may be necessary to seek a doctor’s advice before continuing with the same prescription.
Within NHGP, our staff conduct checks through the system to ascertain the active medication list or to clarify with the doctor on the spot. When purchasing from external pharmacies, access to medical history may not always be readily available.
However, we have taken note of Mr Ng’s feedback and will do a review, so that patients will be able to enjoy the same convenience when buying from other pharmacies, such as in public hospitals, where their medical history can be accessed.
Patients can also buy in shorter duration for better affordability.
We thank Mr Ng for his feedback.
