Thread by @docbhooshan

#safeprescriptions

For a long time a doctor who refers to a book / internet in clinic has been looked down upon by Indian public.
Such doctors are seen as not intelligent or poorly trained and even inexperienced. #thread

Millennia old tradition of treating memory as THE indication of intelligence is so ingrained in Indian mind that most people will not even consider looking at the calendar to realise that we are in twenty first century.

So back to clinical practice -
Prescription medicines interact with each other and many of these interactions are not safe for the patient.

So reviewing a prescription with multiple drugs is a doctor's nightmare.

When patient is a 8 yr old child, it is like 🧟‍♂️ apocalypse.

For years desktop reference books have helped doctors in this task to keep patients safe from harmful drug interactions.

Though Indian public love to see a book cupboard filled with fat medical books and journals in doctor's clinic, they don't take kindly to a doctor

who actually reaches out to a book right in front of them.

I have heard nasty feedback about this habit of mine since the day I started private practice in 2000.

Now internet based interaction checkers are a blessing and I use them frequently.

So yesterday when I was faced with a long prescription of a child with multiple physical illnesses and now in need of anti depressant medication, I told them - hold on. This is going to take a while.

And to my utter surprise, parents of the child flashed a reassuring smile.
At the end of the session, patient's mother remarked - glad you checked it. Now we feel safe.

Lady, may your tribe grow!

Is my india really changing for better? :)