The controversy over contraceptives blew up last Friday on social media. But even prior to that statement from the Ministry of Health and Wellness, they were already cracking down on prescriptions. According to the ministry, laws have been in place but weren't being enforced and they've been trying to regularize medication. That means a lot of the meds you were getting over the counter will now require a prescription.
However, the backlash they've been receiving hasn't just concerned contraceptives, even though that was the boiling point. They've been getting many angry calls from people who can no longer easily access the medication they've been taking for years. With all the criticism, Director of Health and Wellness, Dr Melissa Diaz, conceded today in a virtual press conference that they did not conduct enough consultations.
Dr Melissa Diaz, Director of Health and Wellness, MOHW
"During the process of updating the OTC list, that's the over the counter list, The Ministry of Health and Wellness consulted and informed store owners in every district in Belize, and we also did this update along with the Pharmacy Association of Belize. So we met with them on several occasions as well. However, I can say here that one, we were not aware of the amount of people who go into a pharmacy and purchase prescription medications without the prescription. And two, we did not conduct the number of consultations that we should have to sensitize and to inform the public of the differences between the over the counter medication and the importance of getting a prescription for prescription only medication. A large scale public health campaign should have been conducted simultaneously with the discussions that we had with store owners and the pharmacy association, and this is acknowledged here today."
But then if doctors, organizations like BFLA, and even the Special Envoy weren't aware of the prescription requirement for contraceptives in particular, then who was actually consulted?
Courtney Menzies:
"You started off admitting, Yes, there was not enough consultation done. But I have to ask who was consulted before these things were enforced?"
Dr Melissa Diaz, Director of Health and Wellness, MOHW
"We have been in discussions with the pharmacies to say, please educate your patients, let them know that these are prescription medications and that these medications, you need to see your doctor, you need to get the refills for these medications. The pharmacists over the last few months have been turning away patients, but that has not been what we have been saying to them. So there has been some misunderstandings as well. And for that reason, we have been over the last two weeks in communication with the Pharmacy Association, and they had asked us to please give them, a week or two so that they can come up with a proposal for us. And that's why we're meeting later on today to look at their proposals and to see what it is, how it is that we can improve certain things. In terms of BFLA, I don't know what you mean with regards to BFLA not been consulted. But BFLA is a clinic. They have doctors and nurses working there. They don't have a table outside on the side of the street giving up contraceptives. The contraceptives, obviously are given out with the prescription. Unless you're talking about advice of abstinence or condoms or the morning after pill. Those things don't need, So when you talk about contraceptives, in our minds we're thinking about the combined contraceptive microgynon. But there are other contraceptives that can be given out. So BFLA utilizes their prescription system and they communicate with their patients. They talk to their patients about the potential side effects and the best medication for them. And they do their prescription and they get their drugs."
