Pakistanis Are Being Prescribed Over Twice the Recommended Medicines

While generic prescribing additionally remains far below recommended levels, according to a new study, patients in Pakistan are being prescribed more than twice the number of medicines recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Key points

• Karachi Board Faces Corruption Probe Over Matric Exam Center Changes.
• Antibiotics appeared in 45% of prescriptions on average, compared with the WHO-recommended range of 20% to 26.8%.
• Shahzad Ali Khan, Vice Chancellor of the Health Services Academy and one of the study's authors, remarked the prescribing pattern was identified throughout different levels of healthcare.
• Add ProPakistani to Preferred Sources and see more of our stories in Google Search and Top Stories.
• The findings indicated that patients received an average of 4.2 medicines per prescription, compared with the WHO-recommended limit of 1.6 to 1.8.

Meanwhile, the study, conducted by researchers at the Health Services Academy (HSA), Islamabad, and published in Discover Public Health, reviewed 15 research papers on prescribing practices at hospitals and clinics throughout Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Balochistan, and Islamabad between 2013 and 2024. Karachi Board Faces Corruption Probe Over Matric Exam Center Changes.

For context, the findings indicated that patients received an average of 4.2 medicines per prescription, compared with the WHO-recommended limit of 1.6 to 1.8.

At one tertiary hospital in Peshawar, the average reached 10.56 medicines per prescription, almost six times the recommended level. Even the lowest figure recorded among the 15 studies, from an emergency department in Bahawalpur, remained above the WHO limit.

Only around 25% of medicines were prescribed by generic name against the WHO target of 100%. While only two of the 15 studies recorded rates above 50%, in some hospitals, generic prescribing was close to zero.

Although their apply varied sharply between hospitals from zero to as high as 98%, injections were applied in more than 27% of prescriptions, exceeding the recommended range of 13.4% to 24.1%.

Only 72% of prescribed medicines came from Pakistan's essential medicines list, compared with the recommended target of 100%.

Prof. Shahzad Ali Khan, Vice Chancellor of the Health Services Academy and one of the study's authors, remarked the prescribing pattern was identified throughout different levels of healthcare.

"This is not the difficulty of one hospital or one city. It is happening nationwide, at every level of healthcare, " he remarked.

According to Prof. Khan, doctors often prescribe antibiotics and injections without proper testing, partly since patients request them in the belief that they work faster.

"Patients think an injection or an antibiotic will cure them rapidly. Doctors, under pressure and short of time, often offer in, " he stated. Airblue Problems Vaccination Advisory for Hajj and Umrah Travelers.

He additionally linked the low apply of generic medicines partly to pharmaceutical marketing and the belief among some doctors and patients that generic medicines are less effective than branded alternatives, despite there being no proven difference in quality.

Prof. Khan remarked Pakistan already has prescribing guidelines, but they are rarely enforced.

"The difficulty is not a lack of policy. The difficulty is that the policy is never followed on the ground, " he stated.

For context, the study recommends regular monitoring of prescribing practices, feedback for prescribers, and action against those who repeatedly violate the rules. It additionally calls for coordinated efforts by the administration, pharmaceutical firms, hospitals, and doctors' associations.

"Until this happens, patients will keep taking more medicines than they need, and antibiotics will keep losing their effect against disease, " Prof. Khan remarked. Stay Connected with ProPakistani. Obtain the latest news and stories wherever you prefer. Follow on Google Discover.

Add as a preferredSource on Google Follow on Google News Join WhatsApp.

In short, pakistanis Are Being Prescribed Over Twice the Recommended Medicines is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.