| บทคัดย่อ(English) |
This survey research aimed to study attitude of traditional medical practitioners toward legal controls and opinion of the public toward the practice of traditional medicine in Thailand. The study samples were 501 traditional medical practitioners and 863 people. The sample was selected by multi-stage random sampling and collected by mailed questionnaires for traditional medical practitioners and interviews with people during October-December 1997. The study results show that 74.0% of the traditional medical practitioners work in the production and sale of drugs and only 20.4% work in government approved medical premises. Almost all of the traditional medical practitioners have good attitude to the Control of the Practice of the Art of Healing Act, B.E.2479, the Medical Premises Act, B.E.2504 and the Drug Act, B.E.2510. Some traditional medical practitioners do not agree with some aspects of the law (1) practice of modern style and traditional style are not permitted on the same medical premises (x(-) = 2.19) (2) modern pharmacist are licensed to sell traditional drugs (x(-) = 2.22) and (3) traditional medical practitioners are not permitted to study modern medicine or to use modern scientific principles in their practices (x(-) = 2.35). Income was significantly related to factors affecting career (P = 0.01) and career is significantly related to developing ideas (P = 0.01). For the people interviewed, 7.2% said that they would go to a herbal doctor if they were sick. Of these people, 15.5% would go because of the belief that herbal drugs are good, and 71.9% would go because of believed that traditional doctors are kind, and courteous. The study results suggest that the Ministry of Public Health should develop traditional style medicine by (1) having standard text books (2) having standard curriculum (3) giving the public information (4) correcting and developing the law and (5) having good policy. |
