ISLAMABAD – The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has taken notice of the increasing sale of antibiotics without a doctor’s prescription.
DRAP CEO Asim Rauf has issued instructions to all provincial health departments, stating that the sale of antibiotics without a prescription must be stopped immediately across the country.
He called for making immediate changes in the laws governing the sale of antibiotics, as resistance to antibiotics among disease-causing bacteria is increasing.
The DRAP CEO noted that while antibiotics are sold by prescription worldwide, in Pakistan they are sold like a candy. He also stated that action would be proposed against doctors who prescribe unnecessary antibiotics.
Officials have stated that actions will also be taken against pharmaceutical companies engaged in unethical marketing practices. In Pakistan, antibiotics worth Rs135 billion are sold every year.
Per Year Sale of Antibiotics in Pakistan
The per year sale of antibiotics in Pakistan approximately stands at Rs135 billion.
