LAHORE: The pharmacist community held a protest against the unemployment of over 7,000 pharmacists across the country, inordinate delay in the recruitment positions initiated by the Drug Regulatory Authority Pakistan (DRAP) and in favour of its demands.
The demonstration was organised outside the Lahore Press Club on the World Pharmacists Day on Friday. The protesters were carrying placards and banners and they were raising slogans, demanding employment opportunities for pharmacists, legal recognition of their professional scope, appointment of clinical pharmacists in hospitals, and announcement of results for recruitment positions by DRAP.
Addressing the demonstration, pharmacist and president of the Pakistan Drug Lawyers Forum Noor Muhammad Mahar said thousands of trained pharmacists were unemployed, even though their services were required in hospitals, basic health units, medicine-monitoring systems and patient counselling services.
He called upon the federal and provincial governments to immediately create employment opportunities for approximately 7,000 jobless pharmacists and ensure the mandatory appointment of clinical and hospital pharmacists in all public and private hospitals.
Mr Mahar said the recruitment process for more than 100 assistant director positions at DRAP had been subjected to an extraordinary delay.
“The recruitment examinations were postponed or cancelled twice, while nearly 2.5 months had passed since the third examination without the announcement of its results.”
He demanded that the results be announced immediately and that the recruitment process be completed.
Mr Mahar further called for all other vacant technical positions to be filled. He demanded that pharmacists be legally authorised to provide basic pharmacy services, including blood-pressure and blood-glucose testing, first aid and limited wound care. He also called for immediate consideration of the recommendations submitted to the Punjab Healthcare Commission and other relevant institutions and urged the Pharmacy Councils to issue comprehensive terms of reference and professional protocols.
The gathering demanded appointment of at least one clinical or hospital pharmacist for every 10 beds in all public and private hospitals. It also called for the permanent appointment of at least one pharmacist at every BHU.
Addressing the occasion, the other senior representatives of the community demanded immediate progress on the proposed legal framework of the Pharmacy Act 2026, with clearly defined professional rights and responsibilities for pharmacists. They called upon the prime minister, DRAP, the Pharmacy Council of Pakistan, the Provincial Pharmacy Councils and the Punjab Healthcare Commission to take action on the legitimate demands of pharmacists and warned to expand the scope of agitation country-wide if their demands were not met.
Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2026
