Patients in Pakistan Prescribed Double the Necessary Medicines, Report Reveals
Mian Nadeem | Published September 14, 2026 | 02:06 PM
An average of 4.2 medicines were prescribed per prescription, compared with the World Health Organization’s recommended range of 1.6 to 1.8, experts at Islamabad’s Health Services Academy said.
Key Findings:
- Prescription Rates: An average of 10.56 medicines were prescribed per prescription at a major hospital in Peshawar.
- Generic Names: Only 25% of medicines in Pakistan are prescribed by their generic names, while the WHO recommends all medicines be prescribed by generic name.
- Antibiotics and Injections: Antibiotics were included in 45% of prescriptions (compared to a global range of 20 to 26.8%) and injections were prescribed in 27% of cases.
- National Essential Medicines List: Only 72% of the prescribed medicines were included in Pakistan’s National Essential Medicines List.
Causes:
- Patient Demands: Patients often demand injections and antibiotics for faster recovery.
- Pharmaceutical Marketing: Shehzad Ali, a professor, attributed low generic medicine use to pharmaceutical company marketing practices.
- Non-Adherence to Guidelines: He noted that existing guidelines for prescribing medicines are not always followed.
Recommendations:
Action is needed to curb the practice of prescribing unnecessary medicines and antibiotics, according to Shehzad Ali. This includes:
- Promoting the use of generic medicines.
- Enhancing awareness among healthcare providers and patients about appropriate medication practices.
- Stricter enforcement of existing guidelines for medicine prescriptions.
