Coded prescriptions issue seriously tackled in Balkh: Officials

KABUL (Pajhwok): After Pajhwok Afghan News published a report on cipher-based prescriptions in northern Balkh province, officials say they have initiated serious measures to prevent the practice.

Pajhwok on October 23 published to a report “Balkh residents ask government to prevent coded prescriptions”.

Provincial Health Laws Department head Dr. Javed Siraji said they had started taking serious measures to prevent encrypted versions of prescriptions.

During the past two months, five clinics and two private hospitals that issued coded-prescriptions for patients were sealed temporarily, Siraji said.

“Right now no doctor encodes prescriptions in the province,” he added.

Mazar-i-Sharif residents praised the Public Health Department for taking action against clinics and hospitals over encoding prescriptions.

A pharmacist Mohammad Saber said coded-prescription created many problems for the people.

Saber added: “It was an inconvenience for the people, other pharmacists will unable to read ciphered prescriptions and patients were forced to buy medicines from specific pharmacy stores.”

He said the Public Health Department had considerably prevented such prescriptions.

Najibullah, another resident of Mazar-i-Sharif, said encoding prescriptions enriched doctors and it was good the practice had been prevented.

Similar complaints about coded prescriptions have been made in central capital Kabul.

aw/ma