By Aaron Humes: Prime Minister John Briceño has attempted to clarify the government’s stance on the announcement by the Ministry of Health and Wellness that it will enforce obtaining prescriptions from doctors for most medicines, including contraceptives.
The Prime Minister’s comments last Friday follow criticism from his wife, Rossana Briceño, the Special Envoy for Women and Children, who privately expressed concerns over the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ (MoHW) prescription regulations. Briceño emphasized the importance of making contraceptives more accessible to women in Belize to help prevent unwanted pregnancies.
“From what we have been told in cabinet well before these things happened these things were already the law, but it was not being implemented. So they believed that it was time to be able to implement some of these laws that have been in place. It is not a law that we are changing; it has been there, it’s been in the books. There have been a lot of abuse when it comes to some of these medicines that should be given by prescription,” said Briceño. “…sometimes for want of the perfect you know we mess up the greater good for the people and this is such a case. So we need to sit down with the Ministry of Health to talk about it and see how best we can navigate around…”
Later on Friday, the MoHW released a statement addressing growing public anxiety regarding prescription medications. The Ministry clarified that no new regulations were introduced, reiterating that prescription requirements for certain medications, including contraceptives, have long been established to ensure patient safety.
In its statement, the MoHW emphasized that “contraceptives are also prescription medicines due to the need to assess the risks and benefits” and the requirements for “opportunistic screening” before initiating use. The Ministry maintains that these measures are in place to protect public health.
The statement, however, seemed to add fuel to the fire. It described the existing over-the-counter (OTC) medications as accessible options for consumers, categorizing them into general sales OTC—available at convenience stores without the need for professional oversight—and pharmacy sales OTC, which require pharmacist guidance but no prescription.
Public opinion remains divided, with many advocating for easier access to contraceptives as vital to women’s health. We will have an update on the Ministry’s briefing held this morning, Monday, shortly.
For further information, please contact the Drug Inspectorate Unit at 880-2363 or inspectoratemohw@health.gov.bz.
The post Prime Minister addresses contraceptive access and Ministry of Health prescription policy concerns appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Aaron Humes: Prime Minister John Briceño has attempted to clarify the government’s stance on the announcement by the Ministry of Health and Wellness that it will enforce obtaining prescriptions from doctors for most medicines, including contraceptives. The Prime Minister’s comments last Friday follow criticism from his wife, Rossana Briceño, the Special Envoy for Women
The post Prime Minister addresses contraceptive access and Ministry of Health prescription policy concerns appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
