TY - JOUR T1 - Family medicine as an emerging specialty: a Pakistani perspective and the RCGP International Overseas Network JF - BJGP Open JO - BJGP Open DO - 10.3399/bjgpopen18X101601 SP - bjgpopen18X101601 AU - Faridah Amin AU - Saniya R Sabzwari Y1 - 2018/08/07 UR - http://bjgpopen.org/content/early/2018/08/03/bjgpopen18X101601.abstract N2 - From the heyday of the family doctor doing home visits to rapid rise of specialists caring for the masses, family medicine is making a comeback. This revival is not only in the western hemisphere but also in the East, specifically in developing countries.1 Here we hope to describe the journey of family medicine in Pakistan, and recent developments. The updates include change in policy, and in programme development both at academic and health provision levels.Historically, Pakistan’s health sector has had both public and private arms with self-funding patients. The government subsidises health care, however quality of care is compromised because of problems in infrastructure, personnel, and policy, resulting in substandard care. A structure for free or cost-effective primary care leading to need-based secondary or tertiary care referral is not present, which is essential for an integrated, horizontal, and coordinated healthcare system. Another compounding factor in healthcare provision has been a … ER -