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30 Percent of Chinese Buy Drugs from Pharmacies: Survey
A recent survey shows that 30 percent of Chinese buy drugs from pharmacies after self-diagnosing their medical troubles.
The survey, conducted by the China National Consumers' Association (CNCA) and the Beijing Consumers' Association, also shows that many people, lacking medical knowledge, misuse drugs, Beijing Evening News reported.
According to statistics released by the two associations, more than 60 percent of all the 1.8 million births of deaf-mute children in China are the result of drug misuse.
A report from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that nearly one-third of the annual global mortality rate can be traced back to improper use of drugs.
Experts point out that improper drug-taking can result in drug dependence and side-effects.
Meanwhile, some simply take other people's symptoms as their own and make their own diagnosis. But medicine has different effects on different people, experts said.
The State Drug Administration (SDA) decided to divide drugs into prescription and over-the-counter categories early this year. An effective administration system is yet to be established in the field, the experts said.
CNCA recently warned people to buy drugs with safety in mind, carefully read dosage instructions and get professional diagnoses.
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