Health ministry asks PMDC to prohibit prescription of vitamins, minerals, food supplements

ISLAMABAD: Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (NHS,R&C) has directed the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council to prohibit prescription of all vitamins, multi-vitamins, minerals and over-the-counter products by physicians, doctors, medical and dental practitioners, the NHS officials said on Wednesday.

Citing a notification issued by the NHS,R&C on Tuesday, an official of the health ministry said the decision has been taken in pursuance of the federal cabinet’s decision in its meeting held on February 6, 2024, which had asked the health ministry to prevent the sale, dispensing, prescription and enlistment/registration of vitamins, multi-vitamins, minerals, food supplements, nutritional and over-the-counter products in the country.

According to the notification issued by the ministry, PMDC has been directed to take all necessary steps forthwith including amendment, if any, in code of practice and ethics for the medical and dental practitioners under section 47 of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council Act, 2023 to ensure that physicians and surgeons don’t prescribe ‘nutraceutical’ products and food supplements to the patients.

The notification also directed all provincial health departments and Islamabad Capital Territory administration to prohibit dispensing of the above-mentioned products at pharmacies, medical stores and take all necessary steps including amendments, if any, in relevant rules to ensure that these products are sold over segregated and self-service shelves along with products of personal/healthcare.

It is to be ensured that all established pharmacies must have a qualified pharmacist at the countre, the notification added. Furthermore, all Provisional Healthcare Commissions and Islamabad Healthcare Regulatory Authority (IHRA) have been directed to ensure compliance of code of practice and ethics for the medical and dental practitioners.

Moreover, the ministry official said, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) was also directed to register or enlist vitamins, multi-vitamins, minerals and health and over-the-counter products according to best global practices.

The DRAP will also coordinate with provincial health authorities to ensure prohibition of dispensing of vitamins, multi-vitamins, minerals and health and over-the-counter products and ensure sale of these products over segregate and self-service shelves along with products of personal/healthcare on pharmacies, medical stores, the official added.

It is worth mentioning here that the federal cabinet has also decided to deregulate the prices of all the medicines except the essential medicines but so far, no notification or SRO has been issued by the ministry in this regard.

On the other hand, physicians and pharmaceutical industry have strongly criticised the health ministry for its notification regarding the ban on the prescription of nutraceutical products by the physicians, saying this was an ‘unwise decision’ taken by non-technical persons who don’t know the medical science.

They said multivitamins, minerals and food supplements are required for the treatment and recovery from chronic illnesses and many people with compromised immune systems, elderly people and children need these nutraceuticals to recover from the ailments at the earliest. They said as multivitamins, minerals and food supplements were essential for the patients for their recovery and treatment, they would now be advised by the pharmacists and semi-literate medical store owners, who will misguide and put financial burden on the poor patients’ pockets.