Before leaving for Thailand I was often asked what I was going to learn and what I’d be doing in terms of pharmacy. Though I had viewed the schedule and syllabus I wasn’t quite sure myself. Entering the 4th week of rotation I can say that I have learned a lot more than I thought I would both culturally and medically.
First of all, I knew Thailand was poor but I didn’t know how poor. I have realized that there are some people that literally do not have any value and make a living from selling handmade gifts at the market. What really struck me was when my friend was trying to barter and the lady said “I need food, I can’t discount.”
One particularly enjoyable day was sitting in on a Thai Pharmacy class at Chiang Mai University. We were given an
We have visited many pharmacies in Thailand including primary, secondary and tertiary hospitals. Some of the primary care hospitals seem very outdated compared to America but the tertiary hospitals are very advanced and are actually a lot nicer than some hospitals I’ve been to in America. I have learned that the Thai pharmacists follow mostly the same guidelines as Americans with the exception of drug choice. 80% of Thai drugs are brand name because of the universal coverage system and theories of the patients. Furthermore, I have learned a lot about the universal coverage system allowing access to all patients no matter their financial status. This creates chaos in the hospitals which are almost always flooded with waiting patients.
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