Rational Prescription and Cost-Effective Medication: Challenges and Opportunities in Pakistan

Pakistan is one of the countries with the highest number of medications filled per prescription due to overly prescribed antibiotics and injectable drugs. This is due to a lack of ethical practices in prescribing because doctors aresignificantly influenced by lucrative financial incentives of pharmaceutical companies rather than clinical findings. This immoral activity has become significantly amplified over the past few years and continues to be a challenge in Pakistan. Currently, there is no code of ethics for marketing and promotional activities of pharmaceutical companies. This year, authorities have step up and are in the process of creating policies to regulate companies and practitioners. Implementation of these new policies needs vigilance from health officials, strong professional commitment and institutional collaboration. If executed correctly, these polices should create an environment of professionalism within the healthcare sector.