Making prescribing safer in general practice: Need for medical record keeping in Pakistan

Prescribing medicines without knowing patient’s chronic illnesses,current medications,drug allergies is risky. it may lead to enormous patient suffering in the form of iatrogenic health damage and monetary burden,as in our country pakistan; it is the patients who pay the costs. the main cause is un-awareness of the concept of maintenance of patients’ medical records in out of hospitals healthcare providers. in this article the effects of this continuing dangerous state is discussed and very basic way to maintain medical record,pertinent to our socio-economic conditions is presented which can lead to safe prescribing. it can lay ground for eventual quality record keeping in our country. these suggestions are very basic,on “something is better than nothing” principle. they in no way are a substitute to quality record keeping. the only aim is; safe prescriptions. © 2017,liaquat university of medical and health sciences. all rights reserved.