KARACHI: In Pakistan, more than 500,000 people die each year from medical errors, including medication mistakes, as only 5 per cent of pharmacies employ trained pharmacists, and half of hospitals lack pharmacy professionals, healthcare experts have revealed.

At the Medication Safety Conference, hosted by Alkhidmat Pharmacy Services, the experts called for tighter regulations and reforms to tackle these life-threatening issues.

The conference, which was attended by healthcare professionals, pharmacists, and industry leaders, underscored the severe consequences of unregulated pharmacies and poor medication management.

Asim Rauf, CEO of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap), acknowledged that medication errors are a global concern but stressed that Pakistan lacks reliable data on their prevalence due to underreporting. “Doctors are not trained to detect medication errors, whereas pharmacists are equipped to prevent harm from drug misuse. No hospital or pharmacy should operate without pharmacists, and we are working to align practices with WHO recommendations for safer medication use,” Mr Rauf said.

He also encouraged healthcare workers to report adverse drug reactions to strengthen pharmacovigilance and reduce unexplained deaths linked to medication errors.

Syed Jamshed Ahmed, director of Alkhidmat Pharmacy Services, criticised the state of pharmacies in Pakistan, noting that out of 60,000 pharmacies, only 3,000 are staffed by qualified pharmacists.

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2024