DRAP set to train pharmacists to tackle self-medication, AMR threat

ISLAMABAD: The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has decided to train hundreds of pharmacists across Pakistan to control the practice of self-medication, address the growing threat of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) due to the widespread and unnecessary use of antibiotics, and monitor adverse drug reactions, officials said on Wednesday.

The decision was taken after studies indicated that approximately 76% of university students in Islamabad practised self-medication due to “convenience and the perceived minor nature of their ailments,” while a community-based study in Karachi indicated that about 63% of respondents engaged in self-medication. Analgesics, antipyretics, and antibiotics were the most commonly used medications.

“Today, DRAP and the Pakistan Pharmacists Association (PPA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the training of pharmacists across Pakistan to enhance their role in improving the quality of medicines, eliminating the practice of self-medication, and addressing the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR),” Sardar Shabbir Ahmed, President PPA, told The News.

The MoU was signed by Asim Rauf, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of DRAP, and Sardar Shabbir Ahmed, President of PPA after the Executive Council of PPA and DRAP authority gave the green light.

“This MoU would enhance the technical capacity of pharmacists in various domains of the healthcare system,” Sardar Shabbir added.

He maintained that PPA will arrange activities for capacity-building in the form of seminars, workshops, and symposiums, and DRAP shall provide technical resources.

“Pharmacists in Pakistan play a pivotal role in the healthcare system, serving as key professionals in manufacturing quality-assured therapeutic goods, handling their supply chain, and ultimately dispensing,” he said, adding that they also have a key role in the clinical side by ensuring optimization of patient outcomes and monitoring adverse drug reactions in the form of Pharmacovigilance.

“The PPA’s main goal is to improve the knowledge of pharmacists and it has organized events in collaboration with DRAP to enhance the quality of pharmaceuticals and professional handling,” Sardar Shabbir added.