THE current situation being faced by the community of pharmacists in the country is alarming. Pharm D pharmacists connect chemical sciences to health sciences, and Pharm D professionals are considered an authority on the medication process. Unfortunately, the role of pharmacists has not been recognised as yet by healthcare policymakers in the country.

Imagine the plight of pharmacists and the step-motherly treatment being meted out to them from the fact that Punjab government has rolled back 170 seats of pharmacists that were in their final stages. This has created unrest among pharmacists who were called for pre-recruitment interviews. There is already an acute shortage of pharmacists at retail phar-macies. Regulators have miserably failed to implement the provisions of various regulations meant to ensure the sale of drugs under the supervision of pharmacists.

Pharmacists throughout the world are recognised as trusted healthcare pro-fessionals, and people consult pharmacists for their minor ailments, and they provide cognitive services, like monitoring blood pressure, blood sugar, etc. However,in Pakistan, pharmacies offering such services are iften sealed and booked for the offence of indulging in quackery.

It is high time the Pharmacy Council of Pakistan and the Pakistan Pharmacists Association took notice of the situation to redress the grievances of pharmacists starting community pharmacy services.

Dr Farooq Bashir Butt
Lahore

Published in Dawn, November 1st, 2025