Islamabad’s health authorities have restated the ban on selling pregabalin-containing medicines without a valid prescription, telling pharmacies and pharmacists across the capital that they must follow the rules strictly. The reminder came in a public and pharmacists’ alert from the Pharmacy Services and Drug Control section of the Health Department Islamabad, which said the restriction is being enforced in line with directions issued on July 10, 2026.
Under the directive, every licensed pharmacy and pharmacist in the capital may dispense pregabalin-containing medicines only when a patient presents a valid prescription. The department stressed that compliance is essential to protect public health and to promote the safe use of medicines, a point that matters because prescription-only controls exist precisely to make sure a medicine is used only where a qualified professional has judged it appropriate. Pharmacies that ignore the rule risk undermining that safeguard and leaving patients without proper medical oversight.
The department also urged members of the public to consult qualified medical practitioners before obtaining prescription medicines and to follow medical advice so that any medicine they take is used safely. That advice is aimed at patients as much as at sellers, since a prescription is not a formality but a check that the treatment fits the person’s condition. For people who genuinely need the medicine, the route remains straightforward: see a doctor, get a valid prescription, and have it filled at a licensed pharmacy. The renewed alert suggests officials believe the message still needs repeating, and its success will be judged by whether pharmacies across Islamabad apply the rule consistently from now on.
