The last time I went for my drug refill, one of the senior staff members was directing patients to another office to buy a particular supplement. The way she spoke made it sound as though buying it was compulsory.
When I entered the office she directed us to, I was told that I had to buy the supplement for ₦3,000 per bottle. They claimed it was good for us and would help improve our health. I watched as several patients bought it without asking any questions.
When it was my turn, I told the woman that I wasn't interested in buying it because I don't take supplements. I only take my prescribed medication.
She told me to go back and inform the woman who had directed us there. I did, but to my surprise, the woman insisted that buying the supplement was compulsory.
I asked her if the hospital had officially mandated patients to take the supplement alongside our routine medication.
Instead of answering my question directly, she started telling me how lucky we were to be receiving our antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) for free. She even told me to go and find out how much people living with hepatitis pay for their medication, as though I was being unreasonable for questioning a ₦3,000 purchase.
I told her that the money wasn't the issue. My concern was that I couldn't just start taking a supplement I knew nothing about, especially when I was already on prescribed medication.
Her attitude only made me more determined not to buy it. After going back and forth for a while, she eventually told me to go and collect my routine medication.
But I wasn't satisfied with what had happened. I decided to check the name of the supplement and search for information about it online.
To my surprise, I found information questioning the evidence behind some of the health claims being made about it. There were also warnings about the need for caution when taking certain supplements alongside ARVs because of possible drug interactions that could affect treatment.
Unfortunately, I cannot mention the name of the supplement here.
I took a screenshot of the information I found and forwarded it to the person managing my care at the clinic. As patients, we each have a designated care manager who monitors our treatment and handles issues relating to our care.
She told me she would raise the issue, but she would have to be careful because the woman involved was her boss. She also admitted that other people had previously raised concerns about the way the woman was making the purchase seem compulsory.
And this wasn't even the first time I had witnessed something like this. There was a time this same woman was allegedly pressuring patients to buy soya powder she was selling.
Let me make something clear: I have absolutely no problem with anyone selling their products. If you have a business and patients are interested in buying what you sell, that is entirely your business.
The problem starts when you use your position in a healthcare facility to make patients feel that they have no choice but to buy your products.
Patients living with HIV already have enough to deal with. We come to the clinic to receive treatment, access medical advice and take care of our health. We should not have to worry about being pressured into purchasing supplements or other products by people who are supposed to care for us.
Receiving free ARVs should never mean surrendering our right to ask questions, express concerns or make informed decisions about what we put into our bodies.
Free treatment is not a favour that takes away our dignity. It is part of the healthcare support we are entitled to receive, and we deserve to be treated with respect.
If a supplement is genuinely recommended for a patient, healthcare workers should explain why it is needed, whether there is reliable evidence supporting its use, and whether it is safe to take alongside the patient's prescribed medication. Patients should also be told clearly whether it is optional or medically necessary.
No patient should be made to feel guilty, ungrateful or troublesome simply for asking questions about a product they are being encouraged to buy.
And please, if you are living with HIV and someone recommends a supplement to you, don't start taking it simply because a healthcare worker says it is good for you. Ask questions and consult your HIV treatment team or pharmacist to check whether it is safe to use with your ARV
HIV care workers are supposed to support us, not intimidate us into making decisions about our health.
My question is this: Should healthcare workers be allowed to use their positions to pressure patients into buying products, especially when those patients may be too afraid to speak up for themselves?
When I entered the office she directed us to, I was told that I had to buy the supplement for ₦3,000 per bottle. They claimed it was good for us and would help improve our health. I watched as several patients bought it without asking any questions.
When it was my turn, I told the woman that I wasn't interested in buying it because I don't take supplements. I only take my prescribed medication.
She told me to go back and inform the woman who had directed us there. I did, but to my surprise, the woman insisted that buying the supplement was compulsory.
I asked her if the hospital had officially mandated patients to take the supplement alongside our routine medication.
Instead of answering my question directly, she started telling me how lucky we were to be receiving our antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) for free. She even told me to go and find out how much people living with hepatitis pay for their medication, as though I was being unreasonable for questioning a ₦3,000 purchase.
I told her that the money wasn't the issue. My concern was that I couldn't just start taking a supplement I knew nothing about, especially when I was already on prescribed medication.
Her attitude only made me more determined not to buy it. After going back and forth for a while, she eventually told me to go and collect my routine medication.
But I wasn't satisfied with what had happened. I decided to check the name of the supplement and search for information about it online.
To my surprise, I found information questioning the evidence behind some of the health claims being made about it. There were also warnings about the need for caution when taking certain supplements alongside ARVs because of possible drug interactions that could affect treatment.
Unfortunately, I cannot mention the name of the supplement here.
I took a screenshot of the information I found and forwarded it to the person managing my care at the clinic. As patients, we each have a designated care manager who monitors our treatment and handles issues relating to our care.
She told me she would raise the issue, but she would have to be careful because the woman involved was her boss. She also admitted that other people had previously raised concerns about the way the woman was making the purchase seem compulsory.
And this wasn't even the first time I had witnessed something like this. There was a time this same woman was allegedly pressuring patients to buy soya powder she was selling.
Let me make something clear: I have absolutely no problem with anyone selling their products. If you have a business and patients are interested in buying what you sell, that is entirely your business.
The problem starts when you use your position in a healthcare facility to make patients feel that they have no choice but to buy your products.
Patients living with HIV already have enough to deal with. We come to the clinic to receive treatment, access medical advice and take care of our health. We should not have to worry about being pressured into purchasing supplements or other products by people who are supposed to care for us.
Receiving free ARVs should never mean surrendering our right to ask questions, express concerns or make informed decisions about what we put into our bodies.
Free treatment is not a favour that takes away our dignity. It is part of the healthcare support we are entitled to receive, and we deserve to be treated with respect.
If a supplement is genuinely recommended for a patient, healthcare workers should explain why it is needed, whether there is reliable evidence supporting its use, and whether it is safe to take alongside the patient's prescribed medication. Patients should also be told clearly whether it is optional or medically necessary.
No patient should be made to feel guilty, ungrateful or troublesome simply for asking questions about a product they are being encouraged to buy.
And please, if you are living with HIV and someone recommends a supplement to you, don't start taking it simply because a healthcare worker says it is good for you. Ask questions and consult your HIV treatment team or pharmacist to check whether it is safe to use with your ARV
HIV care workers are supposed to support us, not intimidate us into making decisions about our health.
My question is this: Should healthcare workers be allowed to use their positions to pressure patients into buying products, especially when those patients may be too afraid to speak up for themselves?
Some Nigerians would look for any means possible to take money from you even in your most vulnerable state.
ReplyDeleteIt is well
What the woman did is against the ethics of her profession, and she needs to be reported to avoid future reoccurrence.
ReplyDelete