Shahzad Rasheed
Peshawar: Thousands of unemployed pharmacists who have obtained degrees in pharmacy should not be pushed to the wall .
The provincial government, while spending huge amounts on medicines, is facing annual losses worth billions of rupees due to the lack of proper assessment.
Recruitment of pharmacists would lead to significant savings in government revenue.
These views were expressed by the provincial president of the Pakistan Pharmacists Association Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Bakht Karam Khan, along with Provincial General Secretary Dr. Farmanullah Khan, other office bearers of the association, and young pharmacists from across the province during a press conference held at the Peshawar Press Club here on Monday.
Addressing the press conference, Bakht Karam Khan said it is unfortunate that young individuals, on whom parents have spent millions for pharmacy education, are now wandering jobless.
He added that the Pharmacist Pharmacy Services Policy passed by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly has not been implemented.
He further stated that the province is in dire need of pharmacists, but the government is not paying attention to this issue. Due to the absence of pharmacists, medical stores in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have effectively turned into general stores, leading to the unchecked sale of narcotic drugs to the younger generation, as there is no proper check and balance from the authorities.
He furyher highlighted that there are currently 11,000 registered pharmacists in the province, but only about 100 have been recruited by the government, which is insufficient to meet the needs of the province. He urged the government to appoint pharmacists at the DHO (District Health Officer) level for proper drug assessment, especially in tribal districts where the use of unverified medicines is increasing the mortality rate.
Speaking on the occasion, PPA Provincial General Secretary Dr. Farmanullah Khan emphasized that the government should establish pharmacovigilance centres and ensure monitoring of antibiotic stewardship programs by appointing pharmacists to prevent the harmful effects of medicines.
During the press conference, strong condemnation was also expressed over the brutal killing of young pharmacist Babar Adil from Karak, who was martyred in a firing incident. Special prayers were offered for the deceased.
The Pakistan Pharmacists Association demanded that the provincial government ensure adequate recruitment of pharmacists in the health department, appoint drug inspectors at the tehsil level, enforce the presence of qualified pharmacists at medical stores and pharmacies to prevent the sale of substandard medicines, and establish clinical pharmacy services, pharmacovigilance, and antibiotic stewardship programs in hospitals.
They also called upon the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa who frequently makes claims about improving healthcare and providing public facilities to consider their demands sympathetically and direct the provincial health minister to engage with pharmacists and address their concerns through dialogue.
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