Prof. Dr. Azhar Hussain

azhar.hussain@paf-iast.edu.pk

Prof. Dr. Azhar Hussain

Professor & Chairman

Biography

Prof. Dr. Azhar Hussain is a registered pharmacist in Pakistan since 1995 and currently working as Professor of Practice at Pak Austria Fachhochschule; He attained his Bachelor of Pharmacy from Punjab University, Lahore-Pakistan, MBA marketing from College of Business Administration Rawalpindi-Pakistan, Masters in Clinical Pharmacy and PhD in Pharmacy Practice from USM-Malaysia. He has contributed more than 130 publications in peer reviewed journals. Recently he has contributed chapter in the ELSVIER book title “Pharmacy Practice in Developing Countries Achievements and Challenges”. He has also worked as National Assessor for WHO Good Governance of Medicine study in Pakistan. He has also been involved as focal person for NTP USAID project on engaging community pharmacies in active TB case detection in Pakistan. He gathered his experience of working on medicines as an ardent policy advocate, as an applied researcher and as a writer. He has worked on country wide monitoring of National Drug Policy; rational drug use issues and drug access issues. He has participated in high level policy meetings and has effectively contributed his perspectives in these discussions. His interest in health issues and his representation in the field have made him go beyond states like U.K, Netherlands, France, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Malaysia, Thailand, Turkey, South Africa, Iran, Singapore, Bangladesh and India where he represented the country at different forums. He has also been a trainer at World Health Organization’s International Course on Promoting Rational Drug Use. He is among the few in Pakistan who has a formal training in Clinical Pharmacy. Dr. Hussain has more than 130 publications and his work in the field of public health and publications (Quantitative and Qualitative) on the issues like Community Pharmacy Practice, Rational Dispensing Problems, Training of Dispensers, Malaria Management, National Drug Policy, Essential Drugs, Rational Drug Use, Affordability of Medicines, Quality of Medicines and treatment of Tuberculosis, Malaria, Diabetes and ARI has been published in various Journals and print media. He has also been the Vice President of Pakistan Pharmacist Association Federal chapter. He is also serving as expert Member on Board of Studies and Academic councils of various universities. He is also serving as Member of Editorial Board/Reviewer of various journals and served as Member Pharmacy Council of Pakistan, Member Essential Drug Review Committee, Member Expert Committee on Biological Drugs, Member National Drug Policy Review Committee, Technical Expert Drug Registration Board and Co-opt member for audit of pharmaceutical companies and technical expert for reviewing Drug Dossiers of pharmaceutical products. He is currently serving as Member Drug Court, Islamabad.

Professional Experience

Teaching Experience:

  • Professor of Practice/Chairman in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences s, PAF-IAST (May, 2020 to date).
  • Director General in Hamdard University, Islamabad Campus, Pakistan (July, 2013 – May, 2022)
  • Dean / Professor in Hamdard Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Islamabad Pakistan (June 2015-Jan 2022)

Research Supervision Experience:

    • Supervised more than 48 M.Phil. students in the field of Pharmacy Practice in Pakistan.
    • Co supervising three Ph.D students.
    • Co supervised Ph.D student from Discipline of Social and Administrative Pharmacy, University Science Malaysia, Malaysia.
    • Successfully co supervised M.Phil student of Department of pharmacy University of Sargodah and Faculty of Pharmacy Hamdard University.
    • Supervising 10 M.Phil Pharmacy Practice students and successfully supervised over 200 projects of Pharm.D students.
    • Nominated supervisor for MPH students at Health Services Academy.

Education

  • PhD (2012): Pharmacy Practice), University Science Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia.
    Thesis title: A Mix Methodology Approach in the Assessment of Factors Contributing to Rational Dispensing Problems at Community Pharmacies in Three Major Cities of Pakistan.
  • M.Phil. (1998): Clinical Pharmacy, University Science Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia.

Publications

  1. Madeeha Malik, Ning Yan Gu, Azhar Hussain, Saniya Saleem, Fredrick Dermawan Purba, Fatima Al Sayah (2022). Pilot Study of Valuation Methods of the EQ-5D and the Impact of Literacy, Cultural and Religious Factors on Preferences. Value in Health Regional Issues, Vol 30, 48-58.
  2. Azhar Hussain, Anam Zahid, Madeeha Malik, Mukhtar Ansari, Mojtaba Vaismoradi, Adeel Aslam, Khezar Hayat, Márió Gajdács, and Shazia Jamshed. 2021. “Assessment of Parents’ Perceptions of Childhood Immunization: A Cross-Sectional Study from Pakistan” Children 8, no. 11: 1007.
  3. Madeeha Malik, Iqra Parveen Kiyani, Shazana Rana, Azhar Hussain and Muhammad Bin Aslam Zahid (2021). Quality of Life and Psychological Distress during Cancer: A Prospective Observational Study involving Liver Cancer Patients, Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International, 33 (47A), 576-585.
  4. Madeeha Malik, Ahmad Furqan Kazi, Azhar Hussain (2021). Adoption of Health Technologies for Effective Health Information System: Need of the Hour for Pakistan.10.1371/journal.pone.0258081.
  5. Madeeha Malik, Mahjabeen, Shazana Rana, Azhar Hussain, Ayisha Hashmi (2021). Quality of Life and Depression among Postmenopausal Women in Pakistan. Archives of Pharmacy Practice, 12 (3), 28-32.

Research Interests

  • Health policy and medicinal Drug Policy
  • Rational Drug use.
  • Availability, affordability, quality,and safety of medicines
  • Community Pharmacy Practice
  • Rational Dispensing Problems
  • Pharmacovigilance
  • Quality of Life
  • Disease Management