Doctors Require Licence To Sell Medicines In ICT
ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Oct, 2026) The Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination has directed registered medical practitioners (RMPs) operating in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) to obtain a valid Drug Sale Licence (DSL) for running pharmacies or medical stores.
According to an advisory issued by the Pharmacy Services and Drug Control (PS&DC), unlicensed pharmacies and medical stores have been directed to immediately apply for the requisite licence to avoid legal action. The advisory was issued in the light of a recent Federal Constitution Court (FCC) decision.
Key Points:
- Medicines kept in doctors’ clinics for their own patients remain exempt from licensing requirements, provided the facility does not fall within the category of a commercial pharmacy or medical store.
- Drug distributors have also been directed not to supply medicines to any unlicensed pharmacy or medical store.
- The Pakistan Pharmacists Association (PPA) welcomed the decision, describing it as a long-awaited measure to ensure that medicines are sold only through legally licensed outlets.
Background:
The advisory follows a Federal Constitutional Court ruling that while a registered doctor may prescribe and dispense medicines to their own patients, operating a medical store or retail drug outlet requires a valid licence under the Drugs Act, 1976.
The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) ruled that registered doctors may prescribe and dispense medicines to their own patients but cannot operate a medical store or retail drug outlet without a valid licence. This ruling set aside an order of the Peshawar High Court which had halted proceedings against doctors accused of storing and selling medicines without the required licence.
The court observed that registration as a medical practitioner and registration under the Pharmacy Act serve different legal purposes, and a doctor’s registration does not exempt them from the licensing requirements of the Drugs Act.