IDI Urges People Not To Buy Medicines Without A Doctor's Prescription

UNSPLASH ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) urges the public to avoid buying syrup independently without a doctor's prescription in line with the latest findings of Atypical Progressive Acute Kidney Failure (GGAPA) cases in Jakarta.

“So basically talking about medicine, medicine must be obtained from medical personnel who are in accordance with their competence. So, we also urge you not to buy drugs carelessly without a doctor's prescription," PB IDI chairman Adib Khumaidi said at the Muhammadiyah Da'wah building in Jakarta, as reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, February 8.

Adib said buying medicine according to the doctor's prescription and recommendations is one step to avoid unwanted things. This step is also responsibility for monitoring post-medication use of side effects that may arise.

According to him, awareness of drug problems, especially side effects, is important for the public to pay attention to. If people feel side effects after taking the drug, they must report it as an early detection effort.

"So, monitoring of the side effects of this drug must be encouraged so that cases can be found early. Not only kidney failure, maybe other diseases that have not been exposed to," he said.

The same thing was also conveyed by the Ministry of Health, which appealed to the public to avoid buying syrup independently without a prescription from a doctor.

"The best thing right now is to consult health workers (Nakes). Don't buy medicine yourself yet," said the Head of the Communications and Public Services Bureau of the Ministry of Health Siti Nadia Tarmizi.

If the children are sick, she said, the Ministry of Health suggests taking them to a health service facility to get medicine from a doctor.

Siti Nadia said cases of GGAPA in children have recurred in Indonesia. After having subsided at the end of 2022 and now the case has been identified in DKI Jakarta.

Of the two cases reported by the DKI Health Office, one patient is still in suspect status and one confirmed case has died after experiencing complaints of fever and difficulty urinating.