Friendly Medical Advice from your Local Butcher

In continuation to my last post, the hospital and sick child at home experience has given me even more pause for thought – this time in relation to the Spanish approach to medicinal care.  On the one hand I discovered a whole other area where people like to give advice (to my delight, as you can imagine).  On the other hand there was also a slightly laissez faire approach from the nurses in the hospital actually qualified to give it.

Look! FUN with medication!

Spaniards are particularly prone to handing out unqualified medical advice – the government had to run a multi million euro ad campaign which featured a woman in the market handing over her antibiotics to her good friend the neighbourhood butcher telling him to take them to address his cold like symptoms.  The tag line to the ad was “You´re not a doctor, don’t share prescription drugs and see your doctor for medical advice”. Or some such.  Read more...