ISLAMABAD: In a letter to the ministry of health on Saturday, the pharmacists’ association has alleged that medical doctors and dentists are contributing to the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through irrational use of antibiotics, while almost half of their prescriptions contain nutraceuticals despite clear warnings by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP).
Reacting to a Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) letter addressed to the federal health secretary on the issue of unauthorised clinical practice, the Pakistan Pharmacists Association (PPA) further alleged that procurement, administration, use and dispensing of medicines fall within the legal scope, functions and mandate of pharmacists, but these roles are increasingly being performed by doctors and physicians, which, it claimed, amounts to encroachment on the pharmacy profession.
The pharmacists’ response was triggered by a PMDC letter dated April 21, 2026, in which the medical regulator asked the federal health ministry not to allow allied health professionals, including pharmacists, psychologists and dental technicians, to prescribe medicines or engage in clinical practice, maintaining that such functions fall exclusively within the domain of licensed doctors and dentists.
Rejecting the move, the PPA termed the PMDC directive a “jurisdictional overreach” and urged the government to withdraw the letter to the extent that it applies to pharmacists, arguing that the council has no legal mandate to regulate pharmacy practice. It maintained that PMDC’s authority is limited strictly to medical and dental practitioners and does not extend, either expressly or implicitly, to pharmacists.
In its formal representation, the pharmacists’ body said the profession operates under separate statutory frameworks, including the Pharmacy Act, 1967, and the DRAP Act, 2012, which clearly define the scope of pharmacy services, including pharmaceutical care, dispensing, prescription monitoring, pharmacovigilance, drug utilisation review, and patient counselling.
The association warned that any attempt to include pharmacists within PMDC’s regulatory ambit is legally untenable and risks creating confusion and overlap among key institutions, including PMDC, the Pharmacy Council of Pakistan (PCP), and DRAP, thereby undermining established legal and regulatory frameworks governing healthcare delivery.
