Pharmacists warn of countrywide protests

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ISLAMABAD – After the over a month-long strike of young doctors that had crippled the working at hospitals across Punjab and the federal capital, Pakistan Pharmacist Association (PPA) has also warned the government of launching the protest in a similar fashion if their demand for a better service structure is not approved. The PPA members have rejected the Health Ministry’s proposal revising the service structure while demanding that they should be given the same perks and privileges as that of doctors, adding that in case of failure, they would go for a countrywide protest. An official in the Ministry of Health told Pakistan Today that Syed Khalid Saeed Bukhari, President of PPA, had written a letter to Cabinet Secretary Nargis Sethi about their demands.
According to the letter available with Pakistan Today, Bukhari said, “It has been quoted by the media that the prime minister has announced a new service structure for health professionals in which they have introduced new pay scales and have given the medics (doctors) a variation from a pay scale of 9 to 13 while the pharmacists are kept at a lower pay scale starting from 7. I would like to bring to your kind attention that a pharmacist gets a degree of Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) after 17 years of education, which includes primary and secondary education till 12th grade and then 5 years of professional education. This is no different than what doctors do.” It is worth mentioning that a meeting of PPA was held on Tuesday at the PIMS, Islamabad, which was attended by a large number of senior pharmacists.

11 COMMENTS

  1. i am surprise wt the hell descion by the prime minister of pakistan that he is anouncing a verdict without a knowledge , that wt pharmcist are, they having the equal qulification but even more han the doctors ,and that pharamcist are alos doctor in theier field , doctor in phramcy. now in the health sector they are already appointed on the same scale as the doctors are , the whole responsiblity should be fixes on the fedral secratry health that . wrong information is pased to the prime minister , no members of the phramcist representaitive are there and they are giving a descion and future of the pharmacist, the health stucture are also based on the phramcist , and they play the important role in drugs regulation and , to ensure that the pateint can get the safe and qulaity drugs at proper time with proper dose in addition they have hundred of responsibiltites about the patients, TO see thekey role o phramcist (doctors) the helath secreatry are kidding with the pharamcist to put them in lower grade that kept them with the paramedics, wt the hell that the pakistan phramacist leadreshipe are doing, even on the pakistan level and the provincial level,

  2. if they are happy to write president with them and cannot do do any thing they must leave the office, such issue has disgrace the phramacist not in pakistan but in in all over the world that they are downgrading the phramcist,and placing them with the paramedics, they are the docors in thier own fields and all the fcalities and other prevlages should be given to them as to doctors announced by the prime minister otherwise all the phramcist shohldgo on strike till they get equlaity like th other doctors salim khan canada cont…

  3. the pharamcist are equal to doctors in all respect as they are studing even more subjects than doctors , so why this descion came that the pharmacist will be in 1-7 , an not in 9-13 , this is most alraming situation , the worthy prime minitser was not in picture and the health ministry has farwarded the summary that the pharmacist will be in 1-7, the mater is not so simple in if it is brought in the notice of prime minitser he will be in better posititon to vacate the office from the sec helath and other members

  4. Higly condemnable act by the govt~~~ we the pharmacists would never tolerate it at any cost!!!!!!!!!! we are a part of the health care system n thus deserve equality like in other countries we are treated lyk doctors!! Its a request to al the pharmacists out there, to be united n speak for the right!

  5. i donot know who is making such kind of rubbish policy from prime minister.
    and he is only signing without knowing the health policies.if his job is only sign and sleep then he has to go forever sleep but not to dark pakistan health future.

    i suggest for prime minister and concern authorities kindly donot try to destroy our health system try to improve this…………..

  6. pharmacy is also 17 years education and credit hours pharmacist study are more than mbbs sallybus. According to the letter by govt of punjab health ministry regarding job description of hospital and clinical pharmacist, it is clear that pharmacist would take word round and check prescriptions of doctors and find if there any contraindication, drug interaction, over dose etc.he is also part and even secretary of hospital commettes regarding better care of patient. so how he could be down graded. A person who is to check , varify and sign the prescription to allow medication to be dispenced to patient how can be downgraded that that doctor.. its foolish and rubbish. Last year in USA pharmacy profession was declared as ""most trusted profession"" ,not doctors aur dentists etc. to include pharmacist with para medical staf is also a joke

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