Over 90pc injections not needed, says Dr Nauhseen

ISLAMABAD: Parliamentary Secretary on National Health Services (NHS) Dr Nausheen Hamid said over 90 percent of injections administered in Pakistan are ‘not needed’ by the patients, while irrational use of antibiotics, unnecessarily being prescribed by the physicians and consultants is leading to Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in the country. She also called for an action plan to deal with unethical marketing practices and irrational use of medicines.

“Irrational use of medicines, especially over 90 percent injections administered are not needed by the patients, while the patients are being prescribed antibiotics irrationally, which is leading to Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in the country.

President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi is highly concerned over this trend as these unethical practices are not only burdening the patients financially but also resulting in serious health issues”, Dr Nausheen Hamid told a consultative meeting held to deal with unethical marketing practices and irrational use of medicines. The meeting was organised by the Health Services Academy (HSA) on Wednesday on the directives of President Arif Alvi to prepare an action plan to deal with unethical marketing practices by the pharmaceutical companies to sell their medicines and therapeutic products as well as irrational prescriptions by the physicians in exchange for monetary benefits from the pharmaceutical industry. Issues including unnecessary diagnostic tests advised to patients, unwanted medical procedures, radiological interventions and surgeries, hospitalisations without any need and growing rate of cesarean sections were discussed at the meeting, which was attended by the officials of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP), parliamentarians, healthcare commission officials from provinces, pharmaceutical industry representatives, physicians, pharmacists and other stakeholders. Dr Nausheen maintained that due to irrational use and prescription of antibiotics, antimicrobial resistance had become a big issue, especially the XDR Typhoid which was hard to treat with third generation cephalosporins, adding that President Dr Arif Alvi wants a concrete action plan to be prepared to curb the unethical practices in the pharmaceutical industry.

CEO DRAP Asim Rauf told the meeting that the DRAP has prepared a strategy to promote ‘Ethical Marketing by Pharmaceutical Companies and Rational Prescription Practices’, which has been forwarded to the National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHS,R&C) for approval and implementation. “The draft is strategy is with the NHS now, which is likely to take it to the federal cabinet for approval. Once implemented, the strategy and policy would help us curb the irrational use of medicines and unethical practices in the pharmaceutical sector”, he said. He maintained that the patients were suffering financially and with regard to their health due to unethical practices by the pharmaceutical sector, while the irrational prescriptions by the physicians, especially unnecessary use of antibiotics could lead to emergence of ‘Super Bug’, which would be untreatable with most of the antibiotics available in the world. “It is now the collective responsibility of all us including the DRAP, healthcare commissions, pharmaceutical industry, pharmacists, doctors, media and others to take this issue of unethical marketing practices in the pharmaceutical industry and irrational use of medicines seriously and deal it with iron hand”, he added.