Price L J
Department of Anthropology, University of North Carolilna, Chapel Hill 27599.
Soc Sci Med. 1989;28(9):905-15. doi: 10.1016/0277-9536(89)90315-8.
In Ecuador, as in most Third World nations, thousands of different prescription-only pharmaceuticals can be bought without a doctor's prescription. But how often does self medication actually occur? This study documents 619 prescription drug sales in two Ecuadorian pharmacies. In 51% of these sales, customers in fact present no prescription. Many of the drugs sold this way have serious side effects and must be used with care. Ecuadorian law greatly restricts information on drug packaging about side effects, indications, contraindications, schedule and dosage. Although the pharmacies differ with respect to self medication rates, drug choices, and clerk-customer interactions, both show the existence of a 'shadow system of biomedicine' in which prescription drugs are used without physician consultation. In view of the dominant role that transnational corporations play in Third World pharmaceuticals usage, this analysis incorporates a political economic perspective.
在厄瓜多尔，和大多数第三世界国家一样，成千上万种仅凭处方才能购买的药品无需医生处方就能买到。但自我药疗实际发生的频率有多高呢？这项研究记录了厄瓜多尔两家药店的619笔处方药销售情况。在这些销售中，51%的顾客实际上并未出示处方。以这种方式售出的许多药品都有严重的副作用，必须谨慎使用。厄瓜多尔法律严格限制药品包装上有关副作用、适应症、禁忌症、用药时间和剂量的信息。尽管两家药店在自我药疗率、药品选择以及店员与顾客的互动方面存在差异，但两者都显示出存在一种“生物医学影子系统”，即未经医生咨询就使用处方药。鉴于跨国公司在第三世界药品使用中所起的主导作用，本分析纳入了政治经济学视角。
