The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) caved in Tuesday to growing pressure from pharmaceutical experts and agreed to allow only pharmacists, doctors, dentists and veterinarians to dispense drugs.
The move followed a meeting between senior public health officials and pharmacists' representatives to solve these contentious points after the latter expressed concerns about certain elements in a new drug bill proposed by the FDA.
The bill if it becomes law, would govern the production, registration, prescription and dispensing of medicines.
The main points of contention were the proposal allowing non-pharmacist health professionals, such as nurses, to dispense drugs, and new classifications for some drugs.
Jessada Chokdamrongsuk, public health permanent secretary, said it was now agreed that only four health professionals -- pharmacists, doctors, dentists and veterinarians -- would be allowed to dispense drugs as is the case in the current 1967 Drug Act.
As for the new classifications, he said pharmacists wanted to implement three groups -- prescription only, pharmacy only and freely available -- similar to international standards.
He said the suggestions would be submitted to a committee tasked with drafting the new drug bill.
Jira Wipaswong, a pharmacists' representative, expressed satisfaction Tuesday with the outcome of the meeting, but remained sceptical whether the proposals would be adopted.
He added pharmaceutical experts were not opposed to the entire bill, just those particular areas.