Islamabad: (RightNow) Patients in Pakistan are being prescribed more medications than necessary, a new study reveals.

According to research by the Health Services Academy Islamabad, an average of 4.2 medications are prescribed per prescription, while the World Health Organization recommends a limit of 1.6 to 1.8.

In a major hospital in Peshawar, an average of 10.56 medications are prescribed per prescription. Only 25% of medications in Pakistan are prescribed by generic names, whereas WHO recommends all should be generic.

The study further reveals that 27% of prescriptions include injections, and only 72% of medications are on the national essential medicines list.

It is noteworthy that Professor Shehzad states the use of unnecessary medications is common from primary centers to teaching hospitals, with pharmaceutical companies’ marketing being a contributing factor.