PESHAWAR: The health department has directed the doctors to introduce prescriptions with all details about the diseases, dosages and duration of medicines along with patients’ names, address and history with prescriber’s signature to ensure effective treatment and avoid complications.

The instructions issued by health department to the director-general health services, heads of medical teaching institutions, district health officers, healthcare commission and agency surgeons of erstwhile Fata on Wednesday described the situation with regard to prescribing treatment to patients as unsatisfactory and lacking important details about patients’ record.

The health department has advised the doctors both in public and private sectors to follow the guidelines set forth by the WHO and other international organisations to ensure that the patients receive appropriate medication and stay safe from contraindications.

Medics asked to follow guidelines set forth by WHO

“The practice should be on voluntary basis for the time being,” said the office order. In accordance with the world health agency, the prescription should be clear, comprising name, address and telephone number of the writer, date, generic name of drug, strength, dosage, quantity, label, instruction, warning, names, address and age of patient backed by the signature of the doctor.

A few months ago, a survey had revealed that 58 per cent prescriptions in Peshawar were hard to understand or read clearly. During the survey, about 1,100 prescriptions had been analysed and only 11 per cent of these carried names of the physicians while 98 per cent didn’t include their registration number.

Seventy-eight per cent prescriptions lacked details about disease, 63 per cent didn’t have details about quantity of medicines, 55 per cent duration of usage and 62 contained analgesic drugs.

It said that the matter was discussed thread barely with the doctors during open discussion, correspondence and social media after which it was found appropriate to take desired measures to put in place standard operating procedures for writing prescription and maintaining record of the same for the best cure of the patients.

The order also said that the prescription should be based on international guidelines and best medical practices with all details to safeguard patients from over-dosage of drugs with avoidance of unnecessary usage of painkillers and food supplements by the patients.

The move is also aimed at protecting people from spending money on purchase of unwanted drugs. In the light of the detailed deliberations over the issue of medical prescribing practices in the province, the health department has developed a standard proforma for prescription for all medical practitioners to ensure effective medication of the patients.

For effective treatment of the people, the department has asked the doctors to use the approved proformas for writing prescription to the patients instead of using writing pads.

The proformas has all the required information about patients, doctors and drug along with its quantity and duration besides registration number issued to the prescribing medics by Pakistan Medical and Dental Council.

The heads of medical teaching institutions, director-general health services, district health officers and medical superintendents have been directed to ensure compliance with the directives for the sake of the health of people in the areas of their respective domains. They have also been instructed to involve pharmacists in prescriptions’ writing so that the patients get suitable medicines for their recovery.

The order said that the practice should be implemented on voluntary basis till review that would be carried out after two months.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2018