Over 95% pharmacies, half of hospitals don’t have pharmacists in Pakistan

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M. Waqar Bhatti 

Karachi: Over 500,000 people lose their lives annually in Pakistan due to medical errors, including medication errors, as only 5% of pharmacies are staffed with trained and qualified pharmacists, while half of the hospitals operate without pharmacy professionals, healthcare experts said on Saturday.

Speaking at the first Medication Safety Conference organized by Alkhidmat Pharmacy Services, they called for stricter regulations and reforms to address these life-threatening issues.

The conference, attended by healthcare professionals, pharmacists, and pharmaceutical industry leaders, highlighted the dire consequences of unregulated pharmacies and medication mismanagement.

Chief Executive Officer of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), Asim Rauf, admitted that while medication errors are a global issue, Pakistan lacks concrete data on their prevalence due to underreporting.

“Doctors are not trained to identify medication errors, whereas pharmacists are equipped to prevent harm from drug misuse. No hospital or pharmacy should run without pharmacists, and we are working to ensure safer medication practices in line with WHO recommendations,” Rauf said.

He also urged healthcare professionals to report adverse drug reactions to strengthen pharmacovigilance systems and prevent unexplained deaths linked to medication errors.

Director of Alkhidmat Pharmacy Services, Syed Jamshed Ahmed, criticized the state of pharmacies in Pakistan, revealing that out of 60,000 pharmacies, only 3,000 have qualified pharmacists.

“The remaining 95 percent are operated like grocery stores by untrained staff who often dispense the wrong medicines, leading to fatal outcomes,” he said, calling for legislation to make operating a pharmacy without a pharmacist a punishable offense.

Syed Jamshed Ahmed highlighted Alkhidmat’s efforts to provide quality medicines through its pharmacies, staffed by trained pharmacists who assist patients with correct dosages and medication usage.

Renowned pharmacist and former Director of Pharmacy Services at Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), Abdul Latif Shaikh, pointed out that handwritten prescriptions by doctors often lead to errors.

“Untrained staff dispensing unrecognizable prescriptions results in wrong medications being given to patients, causing fatalities,” he said. Shaikh stressed the importance of safe raw materials for drug manufacturing and encouraged error reporting without fear of prosecution to improve patient safety.

Alkhidmat’s Director of Medical Services, Dr. Saqib Ansari, proposed introducing a one-year paid internship program for pharmacists to provide hands-on training.

“Pharmacists have proven to reduce mortality rates in hospitals by assisting doctors. They should aim to serve the country instead of seeking opportunities abroad,” he said, adding that Alkhidmat hospitals are ready to offer such opportunities.

Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA) representative, Shaikh Kaiser Waheed, lamented that 90% of pharmacists, predominantly women, either leave the profession after marriage or avoid working altogether.

“Parents must encourage both sons and daughters to contribute to the profession after earning pharmacy degrees,” he urged.

Executive Director of the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) explained their protocols for safe medication dispensing to hundreds of cardiac patients daily.

Similarly, Managing Director of Tabba Heart Institute, Prof. Bashir Hanif, detailed safety measures at his facility, including techniques to prevent harm from high-risk medications like concentrated electrolytes.

The event also featured senior physicians, including Prof. Abdul Malik and Dr. Azeem Uddin from AKU, who discussed the importance of involving pharmacists in improving patient outcomes.

Chairman of Alkhidmat Foundation, Dr. Zahid Latif, emphasized the organization’s commitment to providing accessible healthcare services and urged collective action to address medication safety challenges.

Experts at the conference stressed that mandatory staffing of pharmacies and hospitals with trained pharmacists is critical to reducing medication errors and saving lives.

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