GMC Baramulla initiates measures to ease access to psychiatric medications

Baramulla, Nov 17: In a significant move to ease the struggle of psychiatric patients in north Kashmir, the Government Medical College (GMC), Baramulla, has taken steps to make crucial medications accessible at their Amrit outlet within the hospital premises.

Earlier Greater Kashmir highlighted the challenges faced by patients grappling with mental health issues, particularly in procuring essential medicines from local pharmacies.

Considering the hardships of such patients, the GMC Baramulla authorities had decided to provide such medicines at their Amrit outlet, setup within the associated hospital GMC Baramulla.

The Medical Superintendent, Associated Hospital, GMC Baramulla, Dr Parvaiz Masoodi told Greater Kashmir that the decision had been taken to ease the hardships of psychiatric patients who were denied such medicines in the market.

“We will collaborate with the Department of Psychiatric Medicine at GMC to compile a comprehensive list of required medicines. Our commitment is to ensure the availability of these drugs at our in-house pharmacy, Amrit, eliminating any inconvenience for the patients,” he said.

The decision aims to streamline the process for psychiatric patients, ensuring a smoother experience in obtaining their essential medications.

Notably, patients prescribed medications for mental health concerns have encountered difficulties obtaining their prescriptions from various pharmacies across the Baramulla district.

Numerous individuals shared their predicament, citing strict formalities imposed by drug authorities as a reason for denial at medical shops.

Earlier, while talking to Greater Kashmir, a patient, Shaista (name changed) had said that she was diagnosed with anxiety disorder after she experienced sudden palpitation, panic attacks, and numbness in her hands and arms.

The doctors at GMC Baramulla prescribed her an anti-anxiety disorder drug ‘Ezolent’.

After failing to get the medicine here for four consecutive days, she brought the medicine from a medical shop on a doctor’s prescription in Srinagar.

The medical shop owners had cited the stringent measures including maintenance of patient record, CCTV coverage for those purchasing psychiatric medicines a reason to avoid the selling of such drugs.

The drug authorities had issued such guidelines to stop the misuse of such drugs, however, the local pharmacies had been finding such guidelines difficult to adhere with.