PESHAWAR: Expressing concern over easy availability of spurious medicines in the local market, pharmacists here have asked the government to immediately amend the 1967 Pharmacy Act, impose ban on sale of medicines without prescription and appoint category ‘A’ pharmacists as drug inspectors at the tehsil level.

They were speaking at a seminar organised by the Pharmacist Community and United Pharmacists Association, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in connection with the World Pharmacists Day here at Peshawar Press Club on Sunday.

The speakers included Pakistan Pharmacists Association (PPA), KP chapter, former president Israf Gul, PPA KP president Javed, central member Mushtaq Chaudhry and others.

About the role of pharmacists, Israf Gul said that services of pharmacists could not be ignored because a doctor could only prescribe medicines to patients while pharmacists were supposed to point out the effects and side-effects of medicines. Dr Ahmad expressed deep concern over the fact that medical stores in small as well big cities of Pakistan were being operated by unqualified people.

The government, he said, should allow only the category-A pharmacists to operate medical stores at the tehsil level while category-B pharmacists should be confined to the village level.

Mr Javed said that they had met with the health minister last year to get the professional allowances approved for pharmacists, but the summary had not been approved so far. He demanded of the KP government to appoint a drug inspector at the tehsil level to stop the business of fake medicines.

Dr Niaz Ali said that it was the need of the hour to bring reforms in the curriculum and syllabus of pharmacy. He demanded of the KP government to ensure a pharmacist for every 50-bed hospital.

He also asked the government to bring amendments to the 1982 KP drug rules and impose restriction on issuance of licences to the category-C pharmacists for wholesale business of medicines.

He said that drug inspectors should be appointed at tehsil level for stopping sale of the substandard, unregistered and expired medicines.

Dr Ishaq said that category-A pharmacists were those holding five-year degree of B-pharmacy. He also demanded professional allowances to all pharmacists and drug inspectors serving in government hospitals.

Published in Dawn September 26th, 2016