POL-E-ALAM (SW) – Residents of Logar province, Afghanistan, have raised concerns over the presence of “unqualified” individuals working in pharmacies, putting the health and safety of the local population at risk.
Sediqullah, a resident of Pol-e-Alam, the provincial capital, says that in many private pharmacies in the city and other districts, unqualified people, including students, are providing services to patients, which he believes poses a serious health threat.
He adds, “Inexperienced young people are working in pharmacies. This is a very serious issue because if the wrong medication is given to a patient, it could lead to serious health problems such as infertility or mental health issues.”
Mohammad Naeem, a resident of Mohammad Agha district in Logar, mentions that in some cases, pharmacy owners hire their children or relatives to gain work experience, and they are responsible for filling prescriptions.
He believes that this practice directly jeopardizes the lives of patients. “Unqualified people are working in pharmacies, which is a major problem and can endanger the lives of patients. To resolve this issue, relevant authorities must regularly send a professional team to inspect these pharmacies.”
These residents urge the provincial health department to prevent unqualified individuals from working in pharmacies.
However, officials from the Logar Public Health Directorate claim that they do not allow unqualified individuals to work in pharmacies or dispense medication.
Fahimullah, the spokesperson for the Directorate, explains that there is a Monitoring and Inspection Department, which conducts regular checks on hospitals and pharmacies.
“The Logar Health Directorate has regulations prohibiting unqualified individuals from working in pharmacies, and some improvements have been made in this regard. However, in certain areas, there are still instances where unqualified people are filling prescriptions. We ask the public to cooperate with us on this matter.”
Recently, the Logar Health Directorate has shut down 12 private pharmacies for illegal operations.
