{"id":9292,"date":"2026-08-10T09:37:24","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T09:37:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/majistraleczacilari.org.tr\/?post_type=docs&p=1872"},"modified":"2026-08-21T11:50:09","modified_gmt":"2026-08-21T11:50:09","password":"","slug":"pheromone","status":"publish","type":"docs","link":"https:\/\/majistraleczacilari.org.tr\/en\/dokumanlar\/general-articles\/pheromone\/","title":{"rendered":"Pheromone"},"content":{"rendered":"
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We need pheromones\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

”Despair is the first step of losing”<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Year 1978<\/u><\/strong> under its name at that time, A.I.T.I.A. (<\/strong>Ankara Academy of Economic and Commercial Sciences) School of Pharmacy, I am a first-year student. (Later within Gazi University as \u201cFaculty of Pharmacy\u201d <\/strong>it was included) At that time, we were taking the ”Food Chemistry” course. I believe this course is no longer taught in Faculties of Pharmacy today. I will never forget, our professor during class talked about the fatal hazards posed by spoiled canned foods, especially home-canned vegetables, mentioning a rare and potentially deadly disease, namely ”Botulism”, caused by a poisonous toxin that attacks the nervous system produced by the bacterium ”Clostridium botulinum”, stating that canned foods must be carefully stored and checked, and for this reason we would see canned foods being sold in Pharmacies in the future; and not stopping at that, he even mentioned that vitamin-enriched ice creams and mineral-enriched drinking waters would take their place on pharmacy shelves\u2026Mid-1980s<\/u><\/strong>The TEB (Turkish Pharmacists’ Association) President was our esteemed professor, Prof. Dr. Mekin Tanker, who had also taught me during my student years. The General Treasurer was Pharm. Haluk Tar\u0131m. The Central Steering Committee, including Mekin Tanker and Haluk Tar\u0131m, was traveling by road from Ankara to Istanbul to attend a meeting. As the vehicle carrying the Central Committee had just reached the K\u0131z\u0131lcahamam area from Ankara, dusk was falling. A police car stopped them on the road and informed them that the Prime Minister of the time, Turgut \u00d6zal, was waiting for them at the Prime Ministry residence and that they needed to return urgently. In those days, mobile phones did not exist yet. With great astonishment and curiosity, the Central Committee followed the escorting police car and entered the Prime Ministry residence where \u00d6zal was waiting for them. After a short wait, \u00d6zal entered the room where the Central Committee was gathered and, after a brief chat, got straight to the point. Asking for their thoughts regarding the sale of non-medicinal products (predominantly vitamins sold over-the-counter) outside of pharmacies and the deregulation of advertising for these products, he requested that they prepare and submit a dossier on the matter. The Central Committee experienced great surprise and apprehension. After all, convincing \u00d6zal, a politician in favor of liberal policies, and ensuring that these products remained exclusively in pharmacies would not be easy. The Central Committee rolled up their sleeves and prepared a comprehensive report. In this report, prepared with the contributions of our university professors, the negative consequences that would arise if these products\u2014closely concerning public health\u2014were removed from pharmacies in an uncontrolled manner and allowed to be sold in supermarkets were explained in detail. Appearing before Turgut \u00d6zal under the leadership of our professor Prof. Dr. Mekin Tanker, our Central Committee explained the issue from all perspectives and presented the report they had prepared. At the end of the meeting, \u00d6zal briefly glanced at the report, turned to our Central Committee, and stated that international capital lobbies were carrying out major initiatives in Turkey to remove non-medicinal products from pharmacies and allow their advertising, but that he understood the issue very clearly and, as long as he remained in office, this topic would never be brought up again. Our Central Committee left the residence with the joy of having achieved a significant success.<\/p>\n

(Note: Adapted from the account of Pharm. Haluk Tar\u0131m.)The year was 2013; an autumn month<\/u><\/strong>. I remember being invited to a meeting organized by a pharmaceutical company in Konya back then, where Murat Sel\u00e7uk was a speaker. At the beginning of the speech, Murat Sel\u00e7uk drew attention to a danger and summarized it as follows: The non-pharmaceutical product market is whetting the appetite of large capital groups in our country, as it is all over the world. He delivered a speech stating that chain pharmacies could soon be seen in our country, that non-pharmaceutical products\u2014namely the group known as Over The Counter (OTC) or over-the-counter medicine\u2014could move outside of pharmacies, and that rather than merely watching these developments, it was time to consider what could be done and prioritize education so pharmacies could take action to cope with these negative developments. The pharmacists in the hall listened to this speech with interest and a degree of concern. After the meeting, I approached Murat Sel\u00e7uk, whom I had only known by name until that day, introduced myself, and congratulated him on this cautionary speech.<\/p>\n

And what do you think happened next!… We were astonished to learn that a colleague from the senior management of our professional organization\u2014presumably based on incomplete and erroneous information conveyed to them\u2014called Murat Sel\u00e7uk after the meeting and accused him, claiming that he had provoked panic among pharmacists, provided false information, that no such danger existed, and that he had undermined the prestige of our professional organization. Moreover, not stopping there, we were saddened to hear that as a result of complaints and pressure exerted on the pharmaceutical company, Mr. Murat was dismissed from his job.<\/p>\n

Indeed, he should have known that in the country of the blind, having vision is considered a disgrace, or even a crime\u2026<\/p>\n

Now;If we evaluate and interpret the anecdotes I have written above, which took place at three different times yet are deeply interconnected;<\/strong>The point we have reached following our professors’ statements during my student years\u2014saying, \u2018\u2019packaged foods will be sold in pharmacies in the future, this issue is crucial for public health\u2019\u2019\u2014is quite thought-provoking in terms of the values we have lost.<\/p>\n

In the second anecdote; I shared the notes I took based on what I remember from a conversation with our senior pharmacist Haluk Tar\u0131m, who served on our Central Steering Committee in the 1980s.<\/p>\n

From the perspective of governments and reimbursement policies, such deregulation has a philosophy of increasing safe and convenient access to medicines, empowering society in terms of health, and encouraging individuals to take more responsibility for their own health; in connection with this, primarily for various reasons such as saving on healthcare expenditures, they support the marketing of OTC forms of prescription medicines solely due to health economic concerns without considering the problems they create. We are aware of the contributions of international capital lobbies in this regard, and we also see that the efforts of these lobbies have been steadily increasing in the process we have reached.<\/p>\n

We have seen that the report prepared and the efforts made by our Central Steering Committee in the 1980s, chaired by Prof. Mekin Tanker, prolonged this period.<\/p>\n

In the third anecdote; as in the example I described, it is evident that ideas such as preventing the discussion of the OTC issue or covering it up are meaningless.In conclusion;<\/strong>The advantages and disadvantages of medicines in the OTC category need to be examined within a framework using accurate data. I believe that rather than acting out of fear, panic, and anger, through concerted efforts, the OTC issue can be turned into an opportunity for the Pharmacy Profession. For an accurate assessment of the subject, OTC practices both in our country and around the world must be viewed from the right perspective.<\/p>\n

Since there is not yet a legal regulation regarding OTC drugs in our country, medicines in this list are sold in pharmacies, non-pharmacy markets, and similar places literally like hotcakes. The primary objective of this practice is to reduce the share allocated to pharmaceuticals by reimbursement institutions. However, there is a lack of awareness and an information asymmetry among individuals regarding who will evaluate the efficacy and side effects of medicines in this category.<\/p>\n

In Turkey, while the Ministry of Health decides whether a drug is prescription or over-the-counter and determines its price, the fact that the Social Security Institution (SGK) is the authority deciding whether it is included in the reimbursement list leads to extremely risky situations in terms of patient health. Furthermore, there is total uncertainty regarding which items over-the-counter drugs will encompass, their reimbursement status, advertising, and points of sale.<\/p>\n

Companies will advertise more to increase their sales margins among products with similar effects, and these advertisements will be aimed directly at patients. Naturally, patients will rely on advertising information to find the right medication for their treatment. However, these advertisements aimed at increasing product sales will fail to provide effective disclosure of side effects. As a result, patients will incur higher healthcare expenditures without receiving complete treatment. To drive the consumption of OTC products, the advertising costs incurred by companies will rise, and the toxicity monitoring expenses of health authorities will also increase. Thus, contrary to what is assumed, greater financial losses will emerge across all healthcare stakeholders.<\/p>\n

It must be communicated accurately and effectively to the health authority that numerous risks may emerge indirectly as a result of the self-treatment concept and the shifting of misdiagnosis and treatment costs onto the patient; that non-prescription drug use can cause substantial harm in terms of patient health and public finances; and that this situation will impose a greater economic burden on the public. At this point, I believe that the issue can be resolved through collaborative work with the health authority and resulting regulatory arrangements in the legislation.<\/p>\n

In Turkey, the authority to prescribe human medicinal products is granted exclusively to physicians and dentists; that is, prescriptions are fundamentally written directives addressed to the pharmacist. Consequently, the authority to prepare and dispense the medication to the patient belongs to pharmacists. In fulfillment of this responsibility, patients must be informed and counseled by pharmacists so that they can use the medications appropriately. It is the pharmacist’s duty to review the prescription, identify any potential errors, and guide the patient on appropriate use.Unlike medical doctors and dentists, pharmacists receive more comprehensive education regarding medications; therefore, in the event of the widespread adoption of OTC products, the pharmacist’s role in treatment should be enhanced.<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

If the knowledge and expertise of pharmacists are utilized in delivering OTC products to consumers, pharmacists will practice their profession and regain the professional satisfaction and financial gains they lost due to the contraction of the pharmaceutical preparation market.<\/strong>In conclusion, irrational drug use constitutes a significant problem today in Turkey and around the world. Pharmacists, in their role beyond merely dispensing medication, are increasingly transitioning into a collaborative and practitioner position within the treatment process. Consequently, the pharmacist is the vital final step required for a patient’s treatment process to begin. Therefore, pharmacists are key figures in rational drug use and in preventing the misuse of OTC medications.<\/p>\n

In the title of my article, I mentioned our need for Pheromones.<\/p>\n

Ants have a highly sophisticated organizational structure. Thanks to pheromones, which are chemical scent molecules, they communicate, find their way, organize, think as a colony, make decisions, and execute them. This perfect order continues seamlessly, enabling them to achieve what is considered impossible.<\/p>\n

It is an undeniable fact that we need proper organization and structuring in resolving OTC-related issues and all future challenges awaiting us. In short, the only thing we needIS PHEROMONE<\/strong>\u2026   <\/strong>Specialist Pharmacist Ahmet Nezihi Pekcan
\nPekcan Pharmacy – Konya
\npekcanecz@gmail.com
\nTel: (332) 3520657http:\/\/www.majistralformul.com\/<\/a>Source:<\/p>\n