DRAP cracks down on unprescribed antibiotic sales

ISLAMABAD: The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has raised concerns about the growing sale of antibiotic drugs without a doctor's prescription. CEO Asim Rauf has directed all provincial health departments to immediately halt the sale of these medications without proper prescriptions nationwide.

Rauf emphasized the need for urgent changes in the laws governing the sale of antibiotics, citing a rise in microbial resistance to these drugs. He noted that while antibiotics are sold on prescription in many countries, in Pakistan, there will be stricter enforcement, including potential actions against doctors who prescribe antibiotics unnecessarily.

Additionally, DRAP plans to address unethical marketing practices by pharmaceutical companies. It is estimated that antibiotics worth approximately 135 billion rupees are sold annually in Pakistan.