Choose right medicines to avoid side-effects - Health Minister

The health minister has advised the public to take medicines prescribed by qualified medical practitioners, only when necessary, and to choose the right medicines to avoid side-effects.

Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said not all diseases required medicines, particularly antibiotics which could slow down an individual's healing process.

"Sometimes, there are people who love to take medicines even when unnecessary. Take the antibiotics, for example. Taking it too often can cause antibiotic resistence.

"Antibiotics misuse can lead to a situation where bacteria are no longer sensitive to the medicine, and patients need to be given stronger antibiotics which can disrupt the body's immune system," he told reporters here on Saturday.

He said medical practitioners were also advised not to prescribe antibiotics to their patients unless they were necessary.

Earlier, Dr Subramaniam launched the National Pharmacy Fiesta 2015, a programme to enhance public knowledge on the types of medicines available in the market and how to take them in the right manner.

He said, to date there were 24,462 types of medicines which had been registered and advised the public to consult the health authorities before buying medicines that were not prescribed by medical practitioners.

In the meantime, the minister advised medical practitioners not to prescribe medicines to patients for a long period of time to avoid wastage.

"The government has spent RM1.5 billion for the purchase of medications to be given to the people but if there is wastage, it will be a huge loss," he said.