Prescriptions a must for certain drugs

MR RAYMOND Koh's call to keep long-term drug costs affordable is laudable ("Keep long-term drug costs affordable"; Thursday). But I do not agree with his suggestion to allow the dispensing of drugs for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and asthma without a doctor's prescription.

To argue that we should do so because other countries do should not be the reason to drop prescription requirements. The above-mentioned chronic conditions require constant and regular monitoring, including regular blood work by doctors to verify the effectiveness of the drugs taken, as well as to gauge the danger of known potential side-effects.

While prescriptions and additional checks increase medical costs, they are a necessary expense.

Rajasegaran Ramasamy