Stronger pharmacy monitoring needed to curb antibiotic misuse: DGDA DG
He also said the authorities were pursuing strict policies on the advertising and sale of antibiotics.
Md Alamgir Hossain, director general (additional secretary) of the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA), stressed the need to strengthen pharmacy-level monitoring and ensure that medicines are dispensed by trained pharmacists to curb the indiscriminate use of antibiotics in the country.
He made the remarks today (17 September) at a discussion organised by the DGDA's Pharmacovigilance Department to mark 'World Patient Safety Day 2026'.
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Alamgir stressed the need to strengthen pharmacy-level monitoring and ensure that medicines are dispensed by trained pharmacists to curb the indiscriminate use of antibiotics.
"There are more than two lakh pharmacies in the country. Unless we can bring these pharmacies under proper supervision, it will be difficult to control antibiotic resistance," he said.
Many patients purchase antibiotics directly from pharmacies without prescriptions, making effective oversight at the retail level crucial, he said.
The DGDA has already taken several measures in this regard, including promoting Good Pharmacy Practice, strengthening the Antibiotic Stewardship Programme and bringing pharmacies under a digital monitoring system, he said.
He also said the authorities were pursuing strict policies on the advertising and sale of antibiotics.
"We are making it clear that antibiotics cannot be sold without a prescription. Regular monitoring and enforcement measures will be taken to ensure compliance with this rule," he said.
Alamgir said simply conducting raids would not be enough to stop the sale of antibiotics without prescriptions. Professional pharmacists must be ensured at pharmacies, he added.
Pharmacists play an important role in analysing prescriptions before dispensing medicines, advising patients on their proper use and maintaining patients' medication-related information, he said.
Pointing to major shortcomings in the country's pharmacy management system, Alamgir said pharmacies in India, Malaysia and several other Asian countries cannot operate without pharmacists.
"A pharmacist knows which medicine should be given to a patient, how to advise the patient, and which medicines can or cannot be sold without a prescription," he added.
Bangladesh, however, has a different situation, he said. To address the shortage of trained personnel, the country is currently producing "C-grade pharmacists" through a three-month course and placing them in pharmacies.
"Many of these pharmacists do not have adequate knowledge about antibiotics," he said.
The DGDA chief said misuse of medicines could be reduced significantly if pharmacists were appointed at government hospitals and assigned to dispense medicines, counsel patients, maintain medication-related records and analyse prescriptions.
