District East admin pledges action against pharmacies with unqualified pharmacists

The administration of district East in Karachi on Wednesday announced to take action against pharmacies and medical centers running without qualified pharmacists, violating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) with respect to COVID-19 and involved in the practice of quackery by selling drugs and other medical products without prescriptions.

“District East is one of the most affected districts of Pakistan with respect to COVID-19, not only in Karachi but in entire Pakistan. We have over 37000 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported so far while highest number of deaths have also been reported in this district. In these circumstances, it is pertinent that stringent measures are adopted to control the spread of infectious disease in this district”, Deputy Commissioner East Ahmed Ali told newsmen after inaugurating an express center of the Ehad medical and community pharmacy services in Gulistan-e-Jauhar on Wednesday.

He maintained that although pharmacies come under the domain of health department but quackery is the domain of district administration. “We would take action against pharmacies working without qualified and trained pharmacists, which are not only selling medicines without prescriptions to but also violating COVID-19 SOPs and indulged in the practice of quackery”, Ahmed Ali added.

The deputy commissioner inaugurated the Ehad Medical Center and Community Pharmacy Services in the Gulistan-e-Jauhar area and said district administration would support health initiatives which are promoting ethical medical practices, promoting modern pharmacy services and most importantly, providing digital and virtual health services to people.

Responding to a query, the district administration official said implementation mandatory wearing of masks was challenging issue for them and in order to enforce wearing of masks, they had decided to take action against businesses, banks and public places where people were frequently visiting without wearing facemasks.

To a query, he said all the federal SOPs issued from the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) for marriage halls, restaurants and public gatherings were strictly being followed, awareness activities were being conducted as next three months of January till March were very crucial for the spread of COVID-19.

On the occasion, he lauded the administration of Ehad Medical Center for introducing community health and pharmacy services, availability of digital health facilities and providing a platform for the prevention from the pandemic and vowed to support such initiatives in the larger interest of the community.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ehad Medical Center and eminent digital health expert Dr. Babar Saeed Khan said they have come up with a complete solution for community health issues where all the integrated health services including consultation, diagnostics, telehealth services and community pharmacy are available under one roof, adding that they were trying to promote ethical medical services with focus on patients’ welfare and well-being.

“It is the only health facility where consultants prescribe the generic medicines instead of using the brand names of various drugs. Pharmacists at our community pharmacy help the patient in selecting the best medicine keeping in view their affordability”, he said adding that they were also providing the telehealth services to hundreds of patients, either infected with COVID-19 or those who wish to remain away from the health facilities as precautionary measures.

Dr. Babar Saeed maintained that they were in the process of capacity building of patients to empower them and learn more about their health conditions so that they could take better care of themselves and their families and added that five more Ehad medical centers including express satellite centers would be opened in Karachi in the next three months.

Eminent diabetologist Dr. Zafar Abbassi, pharmacists Umaimah Muzammil and Yasir Hashmi, Osama Qasim as well as renowned comedian and artist Ayaz Khan were also present on the occasion.