KP Doctors Reject Proposed Pharmacy Act Amendments Over Prescribing Rights

MANSEHRA: Medical practitioners across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have voiced strong opposition to proposed legislative amendments to the Pharmacy Act 1967, warning that any attempt to curtail doctors’ authority to prescribe and dispense medications will severely compromise healthcare delivery across the country.

Speaking to reporters, Dr Mohammad Rizwan Rajpot, Vice-Chairman of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Professional Doctors Association, affirmed that medical professionals would firmly resist changes to the PMDC Act 2022, Drug Rules, and Minimum Service Delivery Standards (MSDS). He disclosed that a high-level delegation of senior doctors—including Dr Zulfiqar Ali, Dr Hakeem Khan Marwat, and Dr Khawaj Abid—recently met with members of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination in Islamabad to formally register their reservations, specifically opposing the proposed abolition of Section 31 (4) of the Pharmacy Act 1967.

Healthcare leaders argue that stripping away statutory powers from registered medical practitioners undermines provincial healthcare commissions and infringes upon patients’ fundamental legal rights to receive immediate medical care. The association emphasized that introducing vague or restrictive independent prescribing rules could lead to widespread misdiagnosis, unsafe drug dispensing, and institutional conflict within both federal and provincial healthcare structures.

The Professional Doctors Association has urged federal lawmakers to reject the controversial draft and engage in meaningful consultations with medical stakeholders before moving forward. Medical bodies across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have warned of prospective legal actions and widespread protests if the parliamentary standing committee proceeds with finalizing the legislative changes without rectifying their key grievances.