KARACHI, April 9: Despite the fact that drug therapy is an extremely specialised field as all the drugs are chemical poison and have to be used with utmost caution, the prescribing practices of local consultants are registered to be quite liberal.

A study jointly conducted by the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP), the Bolan Medical College and the National Institute of Child Health, reveals that the average number of drugs per prescription is 4.51, while an average daily drug cost of Rs.133.41 is borne by patients.

Ironically, the country’s per capita income comes to around US $450 per annum. Sixty per cent of the local population earns even less than the average per capita income, and 40 per cent of the population is living the below poverty line, the report observes.