Peshawar: Health Minister Syed Qasim Ali Shah said on Friday that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will be the first province to approve the drug policy.
He said this at a meeting of the Ministry of Health.
The minister stressed the importance of appointing pharmacists in hospitals and said that in accordance with the policy, pharmacy services will be integrated with health centers.
He also said that doctors will prescribe drugs for patients based on formularies rather than brands, aiming to eliminate price manipulation and supply constraints in the drug market.
The implementation of the policy is expected to reduce the cost of medicine for patients. According to the policy, the appointment of hospital pharmacists will ensure access to affordable generic drugs for the public.
In addition, hospitals will help reduce drug side effects through pharmacovigilance and antimicrobial resistance.
As an emergency measure, a provincial drug and poison control center will be established to provide referrals for drug poisoning and overdose through online or telephone consultations. The establishment of drug testing laboratories at the departmental level has been proposed in the policy and the proposal to appoint drug inspectors at the district level.
They will help maintain drug storage and supply chain. Once our health department’s drug policy is approved, it will be submitted to the cabinet for final approval.
