Negative impact of orientation programs on use of abortion pills
NEPALGUNJ, Oct 25: The orientation and training given to pharmacy workers on using of abortion pills have accordingly resulted negative impact at a time when scores of women are losing their lives due to incorrect consumption of abortion pills.
Though the organizations involved in providing trainings claims that public receive effective care from pharmacy workers as a result of orientation about using abortion pills, locals are not ready to accept that.
INGO 'promoting' use of abortion pills in villages
Despite policy restrictions to sell abortion pills such as mifepristone and misoprostol, such orientation trainings have enabled drug store owners to know about the medicine thereby making them aware to bypass the policy, according to locals.
Population Services International (PSI) conducts training on using of abortion every year in collaboration with Pharmaceutical Entrepreneurs' Association, according to Kabiraj Kandel, treasurer of the association. “Operators of drug stores from even far flung areas come to attend the training,” he said. “They are provided the information regarding use of abortion pills.”
“We are provided with the information about the abortion pills during the training,” an owner of a medical store from remote part of Surkhet told Republica. “Most of the locals come to our store without doctors' prescription. We provide them the medicines using knowledge acquired during the orientation.”
Even owners of pharmaceuticals believe that the orientation to operators of drug stores is aimed at promoting the use of the medicine. Most of the owners of drug stores consider themselves as 'expert' and their level of confidence has been boosted to sell abortion pills following the orientation by PSI, a member of the association said.
PSI, however, said that the aim of the orientation programs being provided by the organization is to provide information on safe use of abortion pills. “Our intention of organizing the orientation is to control misuse of the pills, said Nabaraj Joshi, advisor to the regional office of PSI, Nepalgunj. “We advise drug store owners not to sell medicines without prescription of doctors,” he claimed.
