Medical reps key to bridging pharma-physician gap despite restrictions
Every day, some 50,000 medical representatives in Pakistan carry more than a bag of medicines when they walk into doctors’ offices. They are responsible for providing doctors with complete and accurate information about more than 10,000 medicines — their dosages, effects, possible side effects and appropriate use — manufactured or imported by pharmaceutical companies operating in the country.…
In Pakistan, around 50,000 medical representatives (MRs) are responsible for delivering comprehensive medical information about thousands of medicines to doctors in their offices. These MRs play a crucial role in bridging the gap between pharmaceutical companies and healthcare professionals, ensuring patients have access to the most up-to-date treatments. Despite their dedication, challenges persist that may hinder their ability to carry out their responsibilities effectively.
Challenges include provincial government restrictions that limit MRs' visits to public hospitals and meetings with doctors. These restrictions could create a gap in the dissemination of information about new medicines, potentially undermining the vital connection between pharmaceutical knowledge and clinical practice. Dr Naveed Hasan Alvi, Dr Javed Ahmed Memon, and Dr Ghias Ahmed, all physicians involved in Pakistan's healthcare system, highlighted the essential contributions of doctors, pharmacists, and MRs to the development and improvement of healthcare systems worldwide, including in Pakistan.
While doctors and pharmacists focus on patient care, MRs are the primary link between pharmaceutical companies and healthcare professionals. They play a significant role in sharing product information and ensuring doctors stay informed about the latest treatment options. According to Dr Ghias Ahmed, the Pakistan Pharmacist Association Sindh Vice President, manufacturing and marketing medicines are two distinct sciences.
However, pharmaceutical companies are prohibited from marketing drugs globally, including in Pakistan, which makes MRs responsible for sharing product details with doctors and keeping them updated on new treatments.
In Pakistan, the pharmaceutical sector includes around 1,000 drug manufacturing companies, each managing a team of MRs ranging from 50 to 3,000. Despite their crucial role, MRs face challenges such as inappropriate behavior by government hospital staff and restrictions on their visits to these facilities. These restrictions may slow the flow of information about advanced medicines to doctors and delay the availability of upgraded medicines to patients.
However, MRs continue to strive to share the latest knowledge with doctors through conferences and exhibitions.
Notably, Dr Javed Ahmed Memon, a former president of the Pakistan Association of Dermatologists, emphasized that the healthcare system cannot evolve without the frontline professionals who have firsthand knowledge about the latest medicines. Restricting MRs' access to government hospitals could further deteriorate the healthcare system, negatively impacting patients, especially those who rely on public hospitals for treatment.
Dr Memon suggested that while some healthcare professionals may seek illegitimate benefits by finding ways to circumvent restrictions, honest healthcare professionals, including doctors and MRs, should be subject to stronger monitoring and auditing to prevent malpractices and ensure the integrity of the healthcare system.
Written by urgent.news from Business Recorder's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
