Drugdu.com expert's response:

The reasons for the relatively lax regulation of prescription drugs involve multiple aspects, mainly including the following points:

Profit-driven: The demand for prescription drugs is large and the profits are substantial, which leads some pharmacies to take risks and illegally sell prescription drugs in pursuit of profits. In a market economy, the primary business objective of pharmacies is economic benefits, so they may overlook the strictness of prescription drug regulation.

Inadequate supervision: In some regions, the supervision of pharmacies is insufficient, making it difficult to effectively curb violations. The limited availability of regulatory resources and the relatively lagging regulatory measures may create loopholes in the practical operation of prescription drug regulation.

Lack of consumer awareness: Some consumers lack sufficient understanding of the definition and importance of prescription drugs, making them susceptible to诱导by pharmacies. This information asymmetry leaves consumers with inadequate judgment and vigilance when facing prescription drugs.

Uneven quality of pharmacy personnel: Some pharmacy staff lack professional knowledge and ethical standards, making it difficult for them to strictly enforce prescription drug management regulations. The insufficient number and quality of licensed pharmacists are also significant contributors to the lax regulation of prescription drugs. They should shoulder the responsibility of providing high-quality pharmaceutical services to the public, but due to their limited number and some individuals' low quality, it is difficult to meet actual demands.

Irregular prescription management: The sources of prescriptions are severely restricted, making it difficult for hospital prescriptions to flow into community pharmacies. Additionally, the authenticity and legitimacy of prescriptions in community pharmacies are difficult to guarantee, posing challenges for retail pharmacies to verify the legality of customers' prescriptions. Furthermore, the phenomenon of purchasing prescription drugs without a prescription is also prevalent.

To strengthen the regulation of prescription drugs, the following measures can be taken:

Enhance supervision: The government should intensify supervision of pharmacies, severely crack down on illegal sales of prescription drugs, and establish a sound regulatory mechanism.

Improve the quality of pharmacy personnel: Strengthen training and education for pharmacy personnel to enhance their professional knowledge and ethical standards, ensuring they strictly enforce prescription drug management regulations.

Enhance consumer education: Popularize knowledge about prescription drugs, raise consumers' awareness and vigilance towards them, and guide them to purchase and use prescription drugs rationally.

Improve prescription management regulations: Standardize the issuance, dispensing, and storage of prescriptions to ensure their authenticity, legitimacy, and validity. Additionally, establish a prescription information sharing mechanism to facilitate pharmacies in verifying the legality of prescriptions.

Increase the number of licensed pharmacists: Through policy support and incentive measures, encourage more talent to pursue careers as licensed pharmacists, thereby increasing their number and quality to meet the demands of drug classification management.

In summary, the reasons for the lax regulation of prescription drugs involve multiple aspects, requiring joint efforts from the government, pharmacies, and consumers to strengthen supervision and raise awareness. By adopting a series of measures, the current situation of lax prescription drug regulation can be gradually improved, ensuring patients' medication safety and health.