LAHORE: Pakistan joined the global community in observing World Pharmacists Day on 25th September, with ceremonies and rallies organized in major cities to highlight the critical role of pharmacists and demand urgent reforms for their rights and recognition. Speakers at the central event in Lahore expressed deep concern over the neglect of pharmacists in the country’s healthcare system despite their pivotal role in ensuring patient safety and rational medicine use.
Experts revealed that nearly 95 percent of pharmacies and medical stores across Pakistan operate without a qualified pharmacist, a situation they described as a serious threat to public health. According to the Pakistan Pharmacy Council’s latest dashboard, there are 63,875 registered pharmacists (Category-A) and 43,052 registered pharmacy technicians (Category-B). However, out of more than 40,000 community pharmacies nationwide, only about 5 percent employ qualified pharmacists.
The ceremony at a local hotel on Mall Road Lahore brought together prominent pharmacist leaders including Ayaz Ali Khan, Khalid Saeed Bukhari, Nadeem Iqbal, Prof. Atif Raza, Muhammad Sohail, and Noor Muhammad Mahar. Speakers emphasized that appointing at least one pharmacist for every ten hospital beds would significantly improve patient outcomes and ensure safe, cost-effective treatment.
In his keynote address, Noor Muhammad Mahar, President of the Pakistan Pharmacists Legal Forum, warned that the profession would intensify its struggle if the government continued to “treat pharmacists as step-children.” He demanded immediate employment for the 30,000 unemployed pharmacists across the country and called for pharmacists to be declared technical experts in the manufacturing of surgical items and cosmetics to curb the use of harmful chemicals.
This year also marked the launch of the All Pakistan Women Pharmacists Association, aimed at representing and empowering women in the field.
Pharmacists nationwide put forward key demands including the appointment of one pharmacist per ten hospital beds, creation of a proper service structure, a minimum salary of PKR 50,000, expansion of clinical pharmacy practice in hospitals, and integration of pharmacy services into the national health policy.
Similar events were held in Karachi, Peshawar, Islamabad, Quetta, Multan, Bahawalpur, and Rahim Yar Khan. In several government hospitals, including Noor Hospital Lahore, Nishtar Hospital Multan, Mayo Hospital Lahore, and General Hospital Lahore, pharmacists raised slogans for recognition and professional rights, reaffirming their commitment to ensuring safe and effective healthcare for all citizens.
