Valuing Drugs over Doctors Carries a Heavy Price

Patients or their families misusing medication without consulting a physician has become a shocking phenomenon. Many patients subconsciously believe that in medicine the most important thing is the drug, not the doctor, and only look for a doctor after medication has caused a major problem. Because China has long kept doctors' registration fees very low, patients undervalue the doctor's role. As soon as consultation fees rise a little, people feel it is not worth it and are too lazy to see a doctor; the result is that many people abuse drugs.

It is true that most drugs taken according to the package insert cause few problems, but many drugs do require a doctor's guidance. Especially when long-term medication is needed, the lack of a doctor's guidance often produces very serious consequences.

For example, Xiao Chaihu Tang (Minor Bupleurum Decoction)—I see many people misusing it long-term. Some patients or their families, after watching a video or reading an article, decide Xiao Chaihu Tang is a miracle drug and take it on their own long-term, unaware that long-term use can easily cause interstitial pneumonia.

Another example is proton pump inhibitors, commonly used for stomach problems and easily bought at pharmacies without a doctor's prescription; patients with gastric issues therefore easily misuse them long-term.

Used over a long time, all such drugs produce serious side effects. But patients and their families generally lack the relevant knowledge and due vigilance. Some patients or families, after listening to a video lecture, believe Xiao Chaihu Tang can fight cancer and take Xiao Chaihu granules all year round; in the end the tumor is not cured, and unfortunately they develop interstitial pneumonia.

Whether Chinese or Western, all drugs follow two basic principles: first, do not take medicine when there is no illness; second, use medicine safely and effectively. One must know the indications and contraindications of drugs and have a deep understanding of which drugs should not be taken long-term, in order to use them safely and effectively.

Doctors must read a vast literature and engage in clinical practice; their knowledge and experience are irreplaceable. We must respect and trust doctors' professional level and not act on our own. Today the service fee of a doctor is worth less than that of a barber, which is unreasonable. Some patients spend far more on misused drugs than they would on proper medical care, yet, because they undervalue the doctor's labor, they prefer to abuse drugs themselves rather than see a doctor. Patients who die this way are pitiful, lamentable, and hateful.

If we cannot fully recognize the value of doctors, then our own health and lives have no value either. Many people are willing to spend lavishly on feasts and haircuts but unwilling to pay to see a doctor. In Beijing, many barbers charge far more than the top medical specialists; is that reasonable?

We should of course sympathize with patients, but we must not use that sympathy to take doctors and medical care hostage. If doctors do not earn enough, they will lack the time and incentive to study medicine; on what then will patients' lives depend?