Going Back in Time

Going Back in Time



Pharmacists are the third largest healthcare
professional group in the world after doctors and
nurses and their role in the healthcare system is
rising with the development of new drugs, emergence of
new resistant microbes and with the changes in the
healthcare delivery systems. According to World Health
Organization (WHO), for optimal healthcare delivery,
one pharmacist is needed for every 2000 people (a
ratio of 1:2000). This says that Pakistan needs 80,000
pharmacists for a population of 160,000,000; a target
still far to be reached, as according to some
estimates country has about 6000-8000 pharmacists.



Though the role of pharmacist in community pharmacies,
hospitals and in drug regulatory authorities has been
recognized world over but they still have a far way to
contribute a significant role in the healthcare system
of Pakistan. Despite heavy education and training they
receive in terms of drug production, quality control,
dispensing, distribution and safe usage of medicines,
pharmacists are underused and most neglected
healthcare professionals in the country. In Pakistan,
a pharmacy assistant or dispenser can also open a
pharmacy/medical store and can dispense all types of
drugs. As a result of this practice the public is
vulnerable to untrained drug traders and quacks. The
pharmacist’s role in public hospitals is merely that
of a storekeeper and they are hardly involved in safe
medication practices and in patient care.



However, the recent decision by the Ministry of Health
(Ministry accused of favouritism , Dawn 15th May ,
2007 http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/16/nat18.htm) is
certainly a final blow to the profession as well as to
the public health. According to Ministry’s new rules
for the recruitment of Assistant Drug Controller (ADC)
in Drug Control Organization (DCO) “graduates other
than pharmacist” such as biotechnologists, chemists
and microbiologist are also allowed to apply, which
was not the case earlier. (Previously only a
pharmacist with a degree in pharmacy was allowed for
an ADC position).



This is contrary to the most of industrialized and
developing countries, where drug regulatory
authorities are heavily staffed, run and headed by
pharmacists, definitely because of their expertise in
medicine manufacturing, distribution as well as in
quality use of medicines. Chemists, microbiologists
and biotechnologist are not trained as drug experts as
they do not even have rudimentary knowledge of
medicines effectiveness and safety. They don’t study
drug effects on the body (pharmacology), drug
manufacturing and production (pharmaceutics) and
pharmaceutical jurisprudence (drug laws). So it would
be ironical to think that how these people would
respond to drug policy issues, also in the absence of
knowledge of Drug Act of 1976, it would be difficult
for them to monitor proper enforcement of laws.
Instead of moving forward, perhaps, this step by MoH
is a giant leap “Back in Time”.



Policy makers and bureaucrats from Ministry of Health
must understand that the drugs are not “simple
chemicals” as usages of these chemicals are associated
with risks as well as benefits to human health. If
the pharmacists are not going to be properly utilized
to improve medicine use situation, then turning a four
year pharmacy degree (B.Pharmacy) into a five year
Pharm D (Doctor of Pharmacy) and opening new pharmacy
schools in the country is certainly questionable.
Higher Education Commission (HEC), Ministry of Health
(MoH) and Pharmacy Council of Pakistan should
certainly think over it.


Dr. Zaheer-Ud-Din Babar
B.Pharm., M.Sc.(Clin Pharm), Ph.D
Lecturer
School of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)
11800, Penang