Lately, a number of patients in Kabul have complained about the different ways that Afghan doctors try to swindle them out of their money.
The patients say that the doctors use “code language” in the prescriptions by using “code language”, in an attempt to oblige the patients to buy the medicine from their own pharmacy at exorbitant prices.
“When we take the prescription to a different pharmacy, they cannot make sense out of it. But, when we take it to the doctor’s pharmacy, they sell us overpriced medicines. “
“I took my prescription to 5 different pharmacies, but they could not read what it said. One of them told me that they probably do have these medicines in their pharmacy, but because it is written in a “code” words, they cannot provide me the right ones. They told me I can only get them from the pharmacy of the doctor who prescribed me.”
These people called on the Ministry of Public Health to take legal actions against these doctors.
The Ministry confirmed the problems addressed by the residents and said that they have identified tens of such prescriptions where doctors have used a “code language”. The doctors who have carried out such an act are prosecuted.
“Doctors who perform such acts will face fines from the Ministry. If they continue prescribing in code languages, they will be referred to the justice institutions,” said Spokesperson to the Ministry Mr. Hafiz Fayaz.
This issue of cryptography in doctors’ prescription has added to the pains of people who are already suffering from the high fees charged by the doctors and the ineffective medicines sold in Kabul.
