Tracing linkages between pharmaceutical incentivisation, antibiotic prescribing and antimicrobial resistance in Pakistan
Document Type
Book Chapter
ISBN
9781803927237
Editor
Susannah H. Mayhew & Michael Hammer
Publication (Name of Journal)
The Elgar Companion to Health and the Sustainable Development Goals
Department
Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
DOI
10.4337/9781803927244.00030
Publisher
Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd.
Abstract
This chapter is about tracing linkages between pharmaceutical incentivisation, antibiotic prescribing, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). AMR has now become a critical global health challenge, as due to drug-resistant bacteria there could be a significant burden of morbidity and mortality worldwide. While there are several factors that contribute to the misuse of antibiotics, profit-led prescribing - a practice which arises when physicians prescribe medications to meet pharmaceutical targets without considering patients’ well-being - can be a significant source of antibiotic consumption in LMICs like Pakistan. In this chapter, we attempt to conceptualise profit-led prescribing, explore the reasons behind physicians’ engagement in it, and highlight how this practice may be contributing to AMR. Finally, we propose actions that may potentially be useful to address pharmaceutical incentivisation to physicians which may further lead to a reduction in antibiotic prescribing in Pakistan.
Recommended Citation
Noor, M. N.,
Shakoor, S.,
Hasan, R.
(2025). Tracing linkages between pharmaceutical incentivisation, antibiotic prescribing and antimicrobial resistance in Pakistan. The Elgar Companion to Health and the Sustainable Development Goals, 361-372.
Available at:
https://ecommons.aku.edu/book_chapters/670