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ON MAY 3, my husband, a retired civil servant, and I went to the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) pharmacy to collect Glucosamine capsules prescribed to me by an SGH specialist doctor. We are entitled to civil service medical benefits.
When the capsules were given to us, we asked the pharmacist why my friend, who is not a civil servant but had the same prescription, was given a different type of medicine. He said private patients were normally given 'branded' medicine but we were given a different type which was cheaper.
When we asked if the cheaper medicine was less effective, he said it was just as good.
I then asked why private patients were given more expensive medicine and not 'equally good but cheaper' medicine. He could only say: 'Cannot, they are private patients.'
Perhaps SGH can explain why private patients are not given 'equally good but cheaper' medicine.
Chin Fong (Mdm)
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