Sale of antibiotics sans prescription banned

Notification has been sent to all private, govt hospitals across the federal capital

ISLAMABAD: Drug regulator has banned sale of antibiotics without prescription in Islamabad, officials said on Saturday.

“Drug Regulatory Authority Pakistan (DRAP) has barred pharmacies from selling of antibiotic medicines without doctors’ prescription,” said Federal Drug Inspector Shabbir Ahmed.

Ahmed has sent a letter to heads of all private and government hospitals and pharmacies across the capital in which it has been directed to ensure that antibiotics are sold only against prescription.

Antibiotic medicines were being misused in Pakistan like other countries, Ahmed said talking to The Express Tribune. Owing to mindless use, people have started developing antibiotic resistance due to which the medicine fails to fight against the targeted infection.

One of the causes of this misuse was self-medication or consultancy from quacks.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 28^th, 2019.