Officials from the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), the National Institute of Health (NIH), and leading infectious disease specialists have raised the alarm over the irrational use of antibiotics, self-medication, and incentivized prescriptions in Pakistan.
They warned that these practices could lead to the emergence of superbugs, rendering many antibiotics ineffective and resulting in untreatable infections. Speaking at an awareness session on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) organized by Commsman Consultants in Karachi, experts described AMR as a “silent pandemic” that poses one of the most significant threats to healthcare in Pakistan, contributing to hundreds of thousands of deaths annually.
Dr Faisal Sultan, CEO of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital Lahore and a renowned infectious disease expert, stressed that federal and provincial governments must enforce regulations ensuring antibiotics are sold only with a valid prescription. He proposed the development of a Unified Prescription App to regulate antibiotic sales nationwide.
“Antibiotics were revolutionary drugs that made advanced surgeries, transplants, and cancer treatments possible, but their overuse and irrational consumption are rendering them useless,” he said. “Now, even diseases like typhoid are becoming untreatable with most of the antibiotics, due to antimicrobial resistance.”
AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites evolve to resist the drugs designed to kill them, making infections harder to treat. In Pakistan, the misuse of antibiotics—through overprescription and self-medication—has led to a rise in drug-resistant infections. This has resulted in longer hospital stays, more expensive treatments, and increased mortality rates.
Asim Rauf, CEO of DRAP, emphasized that while the authority has requested provincial health departments to enforce prescription-only sales for antibiotics, enforcement remains weak. “The sale of drugs is a provincial subject, and we need provincial governments to take this issue seriously,” he said.
Rauf also called on the media to raise awareness about the dangers of AMR. Citing The Lancet, he highlighted that AMR is responsible for approximately 1.27 million deaths globally each year, with Pakistan facing a similar crisis.
Rauf further noted that DRAP plans to take strict action against pharmaceutical companies involved in unethical marketing practices that incentivize the over-prescription of antibiotics. “We are working with regulatory authorities to ensure stricter enforcement, but the media must play its role in spreading awareness about the consequences of AMR,” he added.
Dr Muhammad Salman, CEO of NIH Islamabad, presented alarming findings from a survey of 11 leading hospitals across Pakistan, revealing that 92% of hospitalized patients were prescribed antibiotics, underscoring the extent of antibiotic misuse. “This reflects the severity of antibiotic overuse in Pakistan’s healthcare system,” he stated.
Dr Salman also disclosed that NIH is working on the second phase of the National Action Plan for AMR, expected to be completed by the end of the year. He called for government and donor funding to effectively implement the plan, which includes surveillance of antibiotic use in healthcare, poultry, and other sectors.
“There is a serious lack of awareness about AMR among the general public, healthcare professionals, and even the scientific community in Pakistan,” Dr. Salman warned, emphasizing the need for educational campaigns to bridge this knowledge gap.
Dr Obaidullah, Director of Quality Assurance at DRAP, revealed that over 3,000 metric tonnes of antibiotic raw materials were imported into Pakistan in 2019 alone. He expressed concerns about the unregulated use of antibiotics in the poultry sector, where little is known about their application. “We need greater oversight in non-healthcare sectors, as antibiotic use in animals is contributing to the rise of drug-resistant bacteria, which can impact human health,” he stated.
He, along with other speakers, urged the media to highlight the dangers of antibiotic misuse and AMR, calling for a collective effort to combat this growing public health crisis. The session concluded with a consensus that Pakistan needs a unified approach to address AMR, involving stricter regulations, public awareness, and better coordination between federal and provincial governments. Without immediate action, the country risks facing untreatable infections, escalating healthcare costs, and preventable deaths.