The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Department’s recent recruitment announcement to fill 2,439 posts for Medical Officers, Dental Surgeons and Nurses has alarmed pharmacy professionals after pharmacists were omitted from the list. This exclusion has prompted calls for immediate corrective action from within the healthcare community, which warns that neglecting pharmacists threatens patient safety across the province.
Saqib Hussain, a young pharmacist, criticised the decision and highlighted the wider implications for public health. “By sidelining pharmacists, we are jeopardizing the rational use of medicines and leaving patients vulnerable to medication errors and unsafe practices,” he said, urging authorities to reconsider the recruitment plan and include pharmacy positions.
Despite the approval of the first-ever Pharmacy Services Policy in October 2025, implementation appears stalled. Pharmacists say the lack of follow-through has left an important pillar of hospital and primary care services inactive, contributing to problems such as drug misuse, rising antibiotic resistance and uncontrolled dispensing practices that undermine treatment outcomes.
Healthcare experts note that the absence of pharmacists in hospitals and primary healthcare centres weakens systems like Rational Use of Medicines, Medication Error Reporting and Pharmacovigilance. These functions are essential to monitor adverse events, prevent harm from inappropriate therapies and ensure safe medication management across KP.
Hussain has called on the Health Department to prioritise the inclusion of pharmacists in upcoming recruitments and to expedite the implementation of the Pharmacy Services Policy. He warned that without swift action, the ongoing exclusion of pharmacists will continue to pose a direct threat to public health in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and strain an already fragile health system.
