Medicines and Culture--ADouble Perspective on Drug Utilization in a Developing Country Export

@article{citeulike:3377937, abstract = {A double perspective, one medical-pharmacological and one social-anthropological, is used to understand the logic of drug utilization among practitioners and outpatients at a health unit in Sri Lanka. Both negative and positive aspects of local prescribing practices are highlighted. Western pharmaceuticals are integrated into therapeutic choices for outpatients in Sri Lanka by means of the Ayurvedic theory of balance and practitioners' and patients' behaviour in consultations results in their expectations being met, even if they do not use the same set of health ideas and interpretations of health intervention. The healing power ascribed to Western pharmaceuticals is described and their possible risks discussed from both a biomedical and an anthropological point of view.}, author = {Sachs, Lisbeth and Tomson, G\"{o}ran}, citeulike-article-id = {3377937}, journal = {Social Science \& Medicine}, keywords = {anthropology, ayurveda, biomedicine, culture, drugtherapies, healing, medicalanthropology, pharmaceuticals, prescribing, sri\_lanka}, number = {3}, pages = {307--315}, posted-at = {2008-10-05 21:57:36}, priority = {2}, title = {Medicines and Culture--ADouble Perspective on Drug Utilization in a Developing Country}, volume = {34}, year = {1992} }

TY - JOUR ID - citeulike:3377937 L3 - citeulike-article-id:3377937 N2 - A double perspective, one medical-pharmacological and one social-anthropological, is used to understand the logic of drug utilization among practitioners and outpatients at a health unit in Sri Lanka. Both negative and positive aspects of local prescribing practices are highlighted. Western pharmaceuticals are integrated into therapeutic choices for outpatients in Sri Lanka by means of the Ayurvedic theory of balance and practitioners' and patients' behaviour in consultations results in their expectations being met, even if they do not use the same set of health ideas and interpretations of health intervention. The healing power ascribed to Western pharmaceuticals is described and their possible risks discussed from both a biomedical and an anthropological point of view. IS - 3 JF - Social Science & Medicine EP - 315 TI - Medicines and Culture--ADouble Perspective on Drug Utilization in a Developing Country VL - 34 SP - 307 KW - anthropology KW - ayurveda KW - biomedicine KW - culture KW - drugtherapies KW - healing KW - medicalanthropology KW - pharmaceuticals KW - prescribing KW - sri_lanka AU - Sachs, Lisbeth AU - Tomson, Göran PY - 1992/// ER -