POOR PHARMACEUTICAL CARE AND SUBSTANDARD CLINICAL SERVICES AT PUNJAB INSTITUTE OF CARDIOLOGY, LAHORE

2015-05-15 2015-06-25 11/9/2024 12:56:53 PM Taha Nazir, Tahir Aziz Mughal Pharmaceutical care, clinical services, Punjab Institute of Cardiology <p>Punjab Institute of Cardiology; sad demise of cardiac patients The demise of cardiac patients, registered to Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Lahore, in various hospitals due to therapeutical and pharmaceutical error is a grim concern, needs to be addressed on priority. Initially; as per newspapers, there are two types of reports; use of expired or spurious drugs, supplied by the free pharmacy of the hospital that has been closed after the incidences, and Drugs Testing Laboratory&rsquo;s reports rejecting the claim of expiry or spuriousness. Such conflicting reports necessitate a multi-level &ndash; clinical, medicine, pharmaceutical care and drug analysis - enquiry to avoid such grave prevalence in future because it is well documented that prescribing errors, dispensing errors and irrational use of drugs have killed more people than any disease. Thus; eventually a breakthrough occurred by a press conference on Wednesday, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif revealed that Isotab tablets, which are meant for heart patients, had been contaminated with an anti-malarial chemical, which resulted in fatalities to patients who used it daily. The medicine was given free of cost to patients of the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC). There were dangerous quantities of Pyrimethamine, in Isotab added by mistake during manufacturing process in industry [1]. Pyrimenthamine is also found in Fansidar, an antimalarial drug. That reduces folic acid, responsible for production of body and cell components in living organisms [2]. Isotab is given to heart patients twice daily to lessen the burden on their heart. The chemical found in Isotab, however, was equal to 10 tablets of Fansidar, which means those who used this medicine twice a day were effectively taking 20 tablets of Fansidar, which suppressed the bone marrow, disturbed blood production, and ultimately caused death. Isotab was not expect to be contaminated because it&rsquo;s manufactured by Efroze Chemical Industries, who have around 80 registered medicines in Pakistan.</p>