KARACHI, April 30: Deputy Director-General, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Ali Akbar Sial, has suggested mandatory posts for pharmacists in all public and private sector hospitals.

In his presentation “Role of pharmacists in any hospital” during his visit to the Burns Centre, Civil Hospital, Karachi here on Saturday, he said the reported instances of irrational drug use, duplication of single formulation and also the alleged pilferage of drugs, particularly in government institutions, could be efficiently contained through presence of a qualified pharmacist in every major health care facility.

Dr Sial urged the pharmacists to play due role in healthcare delivery system of Pakistan as they could save up to 20 per cent of the budget loss on account of medicines by advising right choice.

He said according to international standards, one pharmacist was required on 40 beds in any hospital, as he handled the case professionally.

“In USA, about 28 per cent of admissions were due to taking wrong medicines given by pharmacies accounting for lots of financial loss in terms of treatment,” Dr Sial told.

In particular context of Pakistan, Dr Sial said the Aga Khan University Hospital realising the significance of the pharmacists had the posts for the same and was saving adequately under the head of purchase and dispensation of drugs.

Dr Sial said expenditures incurred on hiring pharmacists would be considerably and comparatively insignificant as against expenditure to procure drugs and treating possible side effects, if inadequately administered.

He suggested that in the CHK, there should be one pharmacist in each department.

Talking to newsmen after visiting various wards and pharmacy of the burns centre, he said close coordination between doctors and pharmacists was essential to provide more selective medicines.

Dr Sial said stringent measures were being taken to prevent “over-the-counter” sale of medicines and that a system was being introduced to ensure that de-registered drugs were not available in any of the drug stores or with any chemists.

Earlier, President Friends of Burns Centre, Mohammad Abdullah Feroz, said this was the biggest burns centre of the country having capacity of 66 beds and an excellent example of private-public partnership.

“Mostly poor people remain the main sufferer of burns as they can not afford its costly treatment, which some times, ranges between Rs1 to 2 million. We never refused any burns patients nor will do it in the future, but will increase bed capacity if needed,” he assured.

“Government officials and philanthropists have supported our work. The first donation of Rs50,000 was given by Ibrahim Qasim to this burns centre,” he informed.

Mr Feroz further informed that 28 patients had been treated at the centre since Jan 13, 2005. There was a shortage of staff, but Dow University of Health Sciences had advertised vacancies in newspapers and appointments would be completed soon,” he added.

On this occasion, CHK Medical Superintendent Prof Dr Saeed Qureshi, Pharmacists Association Sindh President Saleh Mohammad, General Secretary Syed Kalb-i-Hasan Rizvi, Drug Inspector Ahmed Deen Ansari and Burns Centre Executive Director Dabirur Rehman were also present.—APP/PPI