'Final draft Pharmacy Act Amendment Bill to be tabled before Prime Minister and National Assembly soon: minister

Federal Health Minister Muhammad Naseer Khan has stated that the final draft Pharmacy Act (Amendment) Bill would be tabled before the Prime Minister and the National Assembly very soon. He said this while addressing an oath taking ceremony of newly elected body of Pakistan Pharmaceutical Association of Centre and Punjab Branch here on Sunday. The minister disclosed that the Federal Health Ministry was in the process of the constituting Drug Regulatory Authority (DRA), which was important to regulate drugs in the market.
He stressed for the clamping of quack pharmacists that were playing with the people's lives, thus he suggested for the establishment of a council on the line of Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), and the government should follow the council's advise. "The government would fully support the council and full co-operation would be extended," he added.
According to him, the pharmacists of Pakistan were the unsung heroes whose contribution to healthcare matches that of doctors. It was about time that due credit was given to them and their service to humanity was highlighted. In this regard, a national seminar should be held to emphasis the importance of the pharmaceutical sector.
Moreover, it has been decided that PPA as an observer would be permitted to attend the inter-ministerial meeting of Federal and provincial health ministers.
While congratulating the new PPA office bearers, he said that pharmacy profession was new in Pakistan and lot to be done. "Hospital pharmacy has just been introduced and yet to be establish it real role.
Similarly, the initiative of community pharmacy under the supervision of a pharmacist has to be widened, while clinical pharmacy along with establishment of pharmacy services in hospitals has yet to be introduced on proper lines. Rational use of drugs and good pharmacy practices were the subjects that needs a lot of attention," he added.
The minister asked the pharmacists to get together and think over the future prospects, and put forward concrete and practical proposals for the proper establishment of pharmacy as a life saving profession to the government.
He heavily laid emphasis on pharmaceutical research and asked the input of the pharmacists to draw a strategy to encourage newcomers in the field of pharmacy to conduct new researches.
He assured the pharmacists that jobs would be provided to them in government hospitals at every level. "The government was fully committed to safeguard the public health by providing essential medical care and quality medicines at reasonable prices," he added.
Akbar Ali Siahal, PPA Central President, Manzoor Saeed, PPA Punjab President, and Dr Muhammad Jamshaid, PPA Punjab Senior Vice President, also spoke on the occasion.
They assured their support to the government in improving healthcare in the country, providing quality medicines and meeting the WTO challenges. However, they asked the Minister to devolve DRA to provincial level so that it could play more effective role.
Earlier, on the behalf of the minister outgoing PPA President Ayaz Ali Khan administrated the oath of new office bearers of both PPA Central and Punjab Branch.