Public Health Outreach in Impoverished Areas of Cambodia: Addressing the Issues Related to Prescription Practices

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/ijms.2024.2326

Keywords:

Cambodia, drug information leaflet, health check-up, outreach activities, public health internship, Public Health, Prescription Practices, Polypharmacy, Medication Misuse, Non-Communicable Diseases, Health Outreach, Poverty Areas, Health Check-ups, Drug Information Services, Patient Education as Topic, Medication Adherence, Health Literacy, Drug Prescriptions, Community Health Services, Medication Therapy Management, Health Promotion, International Cooperation, Health Services Accessibility, Pharmacies

Abstract

During a two-week public health internship organized by Projects Abroad in impoverished areas in Cambodia, the authors participated in health check-ups and outreach activities. We identified issues such as polypharmacy and medication misuse. These problems stem from symptom-based prescriptions without considering individual patient conditions due to limited diagnostic equipments and medications. Our solution involved suggesting a documentation akin to Japan's prescription record books, and Drug Information Leaflets (DILs). Prescription record books would enable patients to record the medications they purchased at the pharmacy, so that physicians would know what medications patients are taking during their health checkups, and thus  prevent polypharmacy. In addition, the DILs included medication details and illustrations, considering the low literacy rates in the areas. We emphasized the need for sustained non-communicable diseases (NCDs) treatment and the potential of external perspectives to introduce innovative healthcare approaches and improvements within local communities.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

Department of General Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine. [JPCA2023] Poster Presentation by Medical Students. 2023 [Available from: http://www.keio-generalmed.com/archives/806. Jap

International Trade Administration USDoC. Healthcare Resource Guide – Cambodia. Available from: https://www.trade.gov/healthcare-resource-guide-cambodia.

Bureau-Point E, Baxerres C, Chheang S. Self-Medication and the Pharmaceutical System in Cambodia. Medical Anthropology. 2020;39(8):765-81.

Kojima T, Akishita M, Nakamura T, Nomura K, Ogawa S, Iijima K, et al. Polypharmacy as a risk for fall occurrence in geriatric outpatients. Geriatr Gerontol Int. 2012;12(3):425-30.

Bangalore S, Kamalakkannan G, Parkar S, Messerli FH. Fixed-dose combinations improve medication compliance: a meta-analysis. Am J Med. 2007;120(8):713-9.

Nonogaki A, Heang H, Yi S, van Pelt M, Yamashina H, Taniguchi C, et al. Factors associated with medication adherence among people with diabetes mellitus in poor urban areas of Cambodia: A cross-sectional study. PLoS One. 2019;14(11):e0225000.

Al Jeraisy M, Alshammari H, Albassam M, Al Aamer K, Abolfotouh MA. Utility of patient information leaflet and perceived impact of its use on medication adherence. BMC Public Health. 2023;23(1):488.

Gasper D, Portocarrero AV, St. Clair AL. An analysis of the human development report 2011: sustainability and equity: a better future for all. South African Journal on Human Rights. 2013;29(1):91-124.

Bank TW. Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above). Available from: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.ADT.LITR.ZS.

Tamaoki M, Honda I, Nakanishi K, Cheam S, Okawada M, Sakakibara H. Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome and Its Components in Urban Cambodia: A Cross-Sectional Study. J Epidemiol Glob Health. 2022;12(3):224-31.

The image depicts a makeshift health check-up station outdoors in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It's staffed by medical interns, as indicated by the presence of medical supplies and equipment on a table, such as blood pressure cuffs and a stethoscope. An elderly woman with gray hair, wearing a mask and a traditional patterned dress, is interacting with a medical intern. Other interns in the background are busy attending to patients or organizing supplies. The setting appears informal, with the focus on providing basic health services to the local community.

Downloads

Published

2023-11-21 — Updated on 2024-04-12

How to Cite

Iba, C., Namba, M., Kaneda, Y., & Ando, T. (2024). Public Health Outreach in Impoverished Areas of Cambodia: Addressing the Issues Related to Prescription Practices. International Journal of Medical Students, 12(1), 100–102. https://doi.org/10.5195/ijms.2024.2326

Issue

Vol. 12 No. 1 (2024)

Section

Experience

Categories

License

Copyright (c) 2023 Chisato Iba, Mira Namba, Yudai Kaneda, Takayuki Ando

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

  1. The Author retains copyright in the Work, where the term “Work” shall include all digital objects that may result in subsequent electronic publication or distribution.
  2. Upon acceptance of the Work, the author shall grant to the Publisher the right of first publication of the Work.
  3. The Author shall grant to the Publisher and its agents the nonexclusive perpetual right and license to publish, archive, and make accessible the Work in whole or in part in all forms of media now or hereafter known under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License or its equivalent, which, for the avoidance of doubt, allows others to copy, distribute, and transmit the Work under the following conditions:
    1. Attribution—other users must attribute the Work in the manner specified by the author as indicated on the journal Web site; with the understanding that the above condition can be waived with permission from the Author and that where the Work or any of its elements is in the public domain under applicable law, that status is in no way affected by the license.
    2. The Author is able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the nonexclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the Work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), as long as there is provided in the document an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
    3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post online a prepublication manuscript (but not the Publisher’s final formatted PDF version of the Work) in institutional repositories or on their Websites prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work. Any such posting made before acceptance and publication of the Work shall be updated upon publication to include a reference to the Publisher-assigned DOI (Digital Object Identifier) and a link to the online abstract for the final published Work in the Journal.
    4. Upon Publisher’s request, the Author agrees to furnish promptly to Publisher, at the Author’s own expense, written evidence of the permissions, licenses, and consents for use of third-party material included within the Work, except as determined by Publisher to be covered by the principles of Fair Use.
    5. The Author represents and warrants that:
      1. the Work is the Author’s original work;
      2. the Author has not transferred, and will not transfer, exclusive rights in the Work to any third party;
      3. the Work is not pending review or under consideration by another publisher;
      4. the Work has not previously been published;
      5. the Work contains no misrepresentation or infringement of the Work or property of other authors or third parties; and
      6. the Work contains no libel, invasion of privacy, or other unlawful matter.
    6. The Author agrees to indemnify and hold Publisher harmless from the Author’s breach of the representations and warranties contained in Paragraph 6 above, as well as any claim or proceeding relating to Publisher’s use and publication of any content contained in the Work, including third-party content.

Enforcement of copyright

The IJMS takes the protection of copyright very seriously.

If the IJMS discovers that you have used its copyright materials in contravention of the license above, the IJMS may bring legal proceedings against you seeking reparation and an injunction to stop you using those materials. You could also be ordered to pay legal costs.

If you become aware of any use of the IJMS' copyright materials that contravenes or may contravene the license above, please report this by email to contact@ijms.org

 

Infringing material

If you become aware of any material on the website that you believe infringes your or any other person's copyright, please report this by email to contact@ijms.org

Most read articles by the same author(s)