Medical experts gathered in the UAE's capital on Friday for the 4th International Pharmacy Conference of Al Noor Hospital (IPCAN) and urged pharmacists to provide patients with correct information on medication as providing wrongful or inappropriate information could lead to a health crisis.

The call came during a Press conference held under the patronage of Shaikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan Minister of Culture Youth and Community Development at the Sheraton Hotel and Resort.

Dr Lamya El Barasi Corporate Pharmacy Director of Al Noor Hospitals Group and one of the Conference Co-Directors said since the pharmacist may be the last healthcare professional to communicate with the patient before the medication is taken it is important that they provide patients with the appropriate information about the medications they are dispensing.

The discussion may include side effects associated with the drug its stability under various conditions toxicity dosage and route of administration all of which may be reassuring to the patient and be of benefit in helping ensure patient compliance."

Dr Taha Ibrahim Chief Executive Officer of Al Noor Hospital Airport Road Branch also highlighted on the importance of the right medication. Dr Ibrahim spoke about medication budget in hospitals and its overall impact on the healthcare system. It has been observed that annual spending on medication has increased in hospitals on both in-patients and out-patients.

The average expenditure depends on the cost of each medication which is directly linked to the type of medication and its source. Dr Ibrahim noted that the cost of medication is approximately 10 per cent less when using generic medications instead of brand names which are produced by multinational pharmaceutical companies although they contain the same active ingredients. They will also have no negative effect on the health of the patient nor on the treatment plan.

Dr Ammar Salti Consultant Anesthesia and Pain Medicine at Shaikh Khalifa Medical City said during his presentation that fear of prescribing medications lack of knowledge availability of drugs and lack of communication among others are all barriers to optimal pain management.

"Over-the-counter medications can sometimes do more harm than prescribed medications in patients with conditions like diabetes pregnancy asthma and high blood pressure so to ensure safe use it is important that people discuss with their doctor before taking any over the counter medications" said Dr Rahul Goyal Consultant Family Medicine at Al Noor Hospital Khalifa Street Branch.

John Makepeace Senior Pharmacy Director at Al Noor Hospitals Group spoke about the importance of training pharmacists to intervene by talking directly with the patients when prescriptions are handed out in a professional and effective manner. This will allow patients to have a much better understanding of their medication including its correct usage which will ultimately have a greatly improved treatment outcome.