Unlicensed pharmacists

Unregistered pharmacies and unlicensed pharmacists are, to the detriment of public health, quite a common occurrence in Karachi and interior Sindh. The practice of 'borrowing' certifications from a qualified professional for the sake of hanging it up in a medical store as proof of authenticity is somehow even more widespread than using one's own degree in the first place. In a country where self-medication is so rampant and antibiotic resistance is gradually becoming a pressing concern, the lack of regulation within this department is a direct cause for public health disaster. This is not even a marginal issue within these regions. By the end of 2024, an estimated 90 per cent of pharmacies were operating without a qualified pharmacist present, reducing what should have been licensed medical stores to mere grocery stores. Out of 80,000 pharmacies linked to a healthcare network, only 55,000 had degree-holding qualified pharmacists present. Instead of professionals, these stores often even employ minors who are only roughly familiar with medicinal knowledge; and when a prescribed medicine is unavailable, they often present substitutes without comprehensive patient knowledge. This sort of reckless behaviour in the medical industry is not a small offence, but rather gross negligence that can lead to serious complications. The absence of pharmacists is compounded by blatant corruption in the offices of District Health Officers who issue drug licences. While the decentralisation of the drug licence issuing process was meant to improve efficiency, it has rendered the system even more vulnerable. The regions need strict and consistent reform. Licensing laws must be enforced, and accountability is needed at every level, be it in the offices or the pharmacies. Without these reforms, lawless pharmacies will continue to operate outside the bounds of the healthcare system, putting more and more people at risk.