Pakistan: Pakistan’s doctors prescribe an average of 4.2 medicines per prescription, more than twice the World Health Organisation’s recommended range of 1.6 to 1.8 medicines, according to a new study by researchers at the Health Services Academy in Islamabad. Published in Discover Public Health, the study reviewed 15 research papers covering healthcare facilities across Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Islamabad.
Why Is Medicine Overprescribing a Concern in Pakistan?
The study found that only around 25% of medicines were prescribed by their generic names, compared with the WHO target of 100%, while antibiotics appeared in 45% of prescriptions against the WHO benchmark of 20% to 26.8%. Injections were also prescribed in more than 27% of cases, exceeding the WHO recommended range. Researchers said excessive prescribing and inappropriate antibiotic use could increase costs for patients and contribute to antimicrobial resistance.
What Does the Study Say About Pakistan’s Healthcare System?
The researchers found that only 72% of prescribed medicines came from Pakistan’s essential medicines list, compared with the recommended 100%. In one tertiary hospital in Peshawar, patients received an average of 10.56 medicines per prescription. Health Services Academy Vice Chancellor Professor Shahzad Ali Khan said the problem was widespread across different levels of healthcare and attributed the prescribing patterns partly to patient demand, pharmaceutical marketing and weak enforcement of existing guidelines. The study recommends regular prescription monitoring, feedback for doctors and action against repeated violations.