Antibiotics’ sale: Govt takes major step for betterment of public healthcare

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has taken a major step for stepping towards in betterment of public healthcare as it imposes a ban on the unnecessary sale of anti-biotic drugs across the country, ARY News reported on Friday.

In the latest development, the federal authorities issued directives to pharmacies and medical stores which restricted the open sale of anti-biotic medicines to the nationals without confirming physicians’ prescriptions.

The pharmacies and medical stores were ordered to hold the sale of anti-biotic drugs without prescriptions.

The notification released by the government also issued health warning, stating that unnecessary usage of anti-biotics was hazardous to health which affects the immune system of an individual.

Read More: Pharmaceutical companies announce to reduce prices on 395 medicines

Citizens have been advised to use the medicines after consulting their physicians and consultants, it added.

The recent move was taken in a series of major decision by the federal government in healthcare sector after actively carrying out action against illegal prices’ hike of medicines made by the pharmaceutical companies.

On April 17, pharmaceutical companies had announced to reduce prices on 395 medicines across the country after the federal government issued warning against the firms over the unjust hike.

Chairman Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA) Zahid Saeed had said in a press conference in Karachi, “We have announced to restore old prices on the medicines following pressure of the government.”

However, Zahid Saeed said, prices on 464 life-saving drugs would remain the same.

He acknowledged that the country was facing economic challenges for the last one and a half years.