'Tactics of drug-selling companies a threat to medical ethics'

Good clinical and prescribing practices and rational use of drugs are important issues in medical profession, while tempting tactics of drug-selling companies is a grave threat to medical ethics. This was said by Lieutenant General Professor Dr Syed Azhar Ahmed (Retd), Vice Chancellor, Baqai Medical University, while delivering his keynote address at a seminar.
The two-day seminar on 'good clinical practices, good prescribing practices and rational use of drugs' was organised by Ministry of Health, government of Pakistan in collaboration with World Health Organisation (WHO) in Saeeda Auditorium of Baqai University.
Dr Ahmed further said, "peculiar practices adopted by multi-national companies are a threat to medical ethics, because various tempting pressures are brought to bear upon medical practitioners. This scenario must give a way to good medical practices."
He exhorted that a doctor in the process of healing must desist from drug abuse.
"He should neither over-prescribe nor ignore locally manufactured low-priced and effective medicines. Welfare of the patients should be the top priority and foremost concern of a doctor."
Advisor to Chancellor Baqai Medical University, Major General Muhammad Aslam (Retd), said seminars, such as this, are of great value to the doctors and pharmacists. Such seminars, he opined, paves the way for patient-oriented and public-friendly medical practices.
He said time has come when we should give preference, as far as possible, to local brands of medicines, which are also low-priced, effective and safe in comparison to foreign brands.