About 6 months ago, Ms. N.T.H.H (32 years old, Ho Chi Minh City) was diagnosed with a small breast tumor, not requiring surgical intervention but must be closely monitored. According to the indication, she regularly re-examined once every 6 months.
In a recent re-examination, doctors recorded that the tumor showed signs of increasing size. However, due to no indication of invasive intervention, Ms. H continued to be prescribed medication for treatment and scheduled a re-examination after more than 1 month to monitor progress. “The doctor gave me medication after the Lunar New Year and then returned for a re-examination according to the schedule,” Ms. H said.
For chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes, re-examination and medication on schedule are mandatory. In the case of Ms. N.T.T (62 years old, An Lac ward, Ho Chi Minh City), being prescribed medication for a longer time helps reduce travel pressure during holidays and Tet.
Ms. T said that she herself suffers from many underlying diseases such as prolonged leg pain, diabetes and high blood pressure. “Normally, I am only prescribed medication for a maximum of 30 days. This time, the doctor gave me an additional 15 days but also instructed that because there are many underlying diseases, it cannot be prolonged further,” Ms. T shared.
According to BS.CKII Duong Trieu Vu - Head of the Thoracic Surgery Department, University Medical Center Hospital HCMC, long-term prescriptions need to be carefully considered, especially for specific diseases such as cancer, instead of being applied rigidly.
Dr. Vu added that in clinical practice, long-term prescriptions are only suitable for patients who have entered a stable stage. For breast cancer patients after treatment, if the condition is stable, there are no signs of abnormality or complications, doctors can schedule re-examinations after 6 months to 1 year for periodic check-ups and tests. In these cases, prescribing drugs for 2-3 months or longer does not cause significant obstacles to monitoring work.
Conversely, for patients who are in the acute stage, unstable or at risk of progression, doctors will not prescribe a long-term prescription but need to schedule an early re-examination to closely monitor the course of the disease and adjust the regimen in a timely manner. "No one dares to prescribe a long-term prescription for cases that still have potential risks," Dr. Vu emphasized.
According to the Head of the Thoracic Department, the key factor in prescribing long-term drugs is individualizing treatment. The treating doctor is the person who directly examines, understands each patient's condition and will decide the appropriate prescription time, which can be 1 month, 2 months or 3 months, based on the degree of stability of the disease.
Dr. Vu affirmed that long-term prescription is not "uniform application", but it is necessary to put patient safety first, ensuring both convenience for patients and not missing abnormal signs during monitoring and treatment.
