Pharmacist Slams Nigerian Hospitals for Concealing Names Of Prescribed Drug

In a video shared via TikTok, she noted that this practice is more common in private hospitals across the country.

She continued by listing the negative effects this practice has on patients.

A Nigerian pharmacist has called out hospitals for routinely withholding the names of medications prescribed to patients after consultations.

In a video shared via TikTok, she noted that this practice is more common in private hospitals across the country.

She expressed concern over the lack of transparency, questioning the motive behind such actions.

She continued by listing the negative effects this practice has on patients.

In her words:

‘’Is it a crime for patients to know what they(patients) are swallowing. Hospitals that remove drugs from their original packaging. Even if you remove it, you do not even bother to name the drug. You just give them a drug in an envelop, no label…who are you hiding from? why are drugs being treated like a state secret? You go to the hospital, pay for consultation , pay for drugs and then they will hand drugs to you in an envelop…No name, no clue…just instruction on how to use…one morning or night after food.

One what? is it a pain killer, an antibiotics? please specify! ‘’

‘’So I should be kept in the dark as a patient? I should not have an idea of what I am taking in?’

‘’One, it strips patients of their rights to informed care. Two, it prevents people from learning about their own health. Three, it creates room for abuse and errors and even also dependency..How will a patient know what to avoid next time if they react to that drug you have given them? How will they educate themselves for drug interaction if there are multiple medications? Health care is not witchcraft! It is science and there is a part of science that tells everyone that science is all about transparency.

This practice is not protecting patients at all. If you are giving a patient a medication, they have the right to know the name of the drug, what the drug is for, the possible side effect, how long to use it..it is called Patient empowerment and not medical gatekeeping., Stop playing hide and seek with medicine’s name’