Standardization of Therapeutic Guidelines in Pakistan: The Lack of Considerations and Input from Stakeholders

Abstract

The Standard Treatment Guidelines (STGs) are crucial to evidence-based prophylactic and therapeutic management for safe and effective patient care. To develop or review an STG, a team with all relevant stakeholders should meet regularly to put together all scientifically gathered evidence, analyse the evidence, recommend the STG, and disseminate the guidelines final among the healthcare providers. The following are the key drivers of changes for STGs personalised to local settings: emerging pharmacovigilance data, developing evidence from clinical or pharmacological studies, introducing innovative medicinal agents, etc. Due to genetic and environmental variations, the experts recommend using indigenous evidence from local populations for developing STGs. Alternatively, the international guidelines may be adapted with the necessary modifications and adjustments to cater for the specificities of the local community. Rapid dissemination and effective communication are crucial to help healthcare providers implement the latest STGs in Pakistan.

Keywords

• local evidence
• standard treatment guidelines
• stg