ISLAMABAD: A shocking report has revealed over 80,000 prescription errors in Pakistan over the past year, where physicians and surgeons made critical mistakes such as prescribing incorrect medications, wrong dosages, and neglecting potential drug interactions, which could have been fatal for patients.
These errors were reported in three prominent health facilities in Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi. ‘Clinical pharmacists’ conducted this extensive study, shedding light on the gravity of the situation.
Sardar Shabbir Ahmed, President of the Pakistan Pharmacists Association (PPA), disclosed that 96% of these prescription errors were acknowledged and rectified by the prescribing physicians and surgeons after consultation with clinical pharmacists, ultimately ensuring patient safety.
Talking about the report, Sardar Shabbir Ahmed, Chief Drug Inspector of Islamabad, emphasized that medication errors rank as the sixth leading cause of death in developed nations, such as the United States, where approximately 7,000-9,000 people lose their lives annually due to such errors.
Furthermore, he pointed out that hundreds of thousands of patients experience adverse reactions or other medication-related complications but often refrain from reporting them. The staggering cost of caring for patients affected by medication-related errors exceeds $40 billion annually in the United States alone.
He added that in light of these alarming statistics, there is an urgent need to introduce clinical pharmacy services in both public and private healthcare facilities across Pakistan to prevent fatalities and disabilities arising from medication errors and adverse drug reactions. Additionally, promoting community pharmacy services could contribute significantly to managing Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) like diabetes and hypertension in the country.
The President of the Pharmacists Association called for establishing pharmacovigilance centers nationwide to detect, monitor, and prevent adverse drug reactions, ensuring patient safety.
Prof. Khan emphasized pharmacists’ critical role in patient safety, particularly in a climate where patients often receive irrational prescriptions from physicians and surgeons. Trained and qualified pharmacists can protect patients from physical and financial harm by ensuring the right medication is prescribed in the correct dosage.
He stressed that doctors diagnose diseases, while pharmacists are responsible for prescribing the appropriate treatment. Prof. Khan also advocated for pharmacists to manage departments and programs currently overseen by doctors, such as immunization programs, mirroring practices in other countries.
Addressing the pharmaceutical industry, Additional Secretary Health Kamran Rehman Khan lamented that despite having around 670 registered pharmaceutical companies with DRAP in Pakistan, only a handful—approximately 10—comply with international standards and good manufacturing practices.
He highlighted pharmacists’ pivotal role in implementing these practices in the pharmaceutical industry, potentially making Pakistan’s drugs acceptable worldwide. Better quality medicines could open doors for Pakistan to earn billions of dollars by exporting pharmaceutical products globally, particularly to African countries. —APP
