Hyderabad: The Medical Council of India (MCI) has mandated that generic names of drugs would have to be mentioned along with the brands in prescriptions to patients, in line with amendments to the Indian Medical Council Professional Conduct and Ethics Regulations 2002.
The MCI has made it compulsory for doctors “to prescribe drugs with generic names legibly, preferably in capital letters”. The order, which has been circulated to all hospitals and chemists, has once again raised the moot point about non-compliance as generic names are not being mentioned with the brands. In 2015, the MCI had released a format of prescription in capital letters in a bid to standardise the process but there were only a few takers.
General physician Dr Sudarshan Reddy said, “A generic drug is the same as a branded drug in dosage, safety, strength and quality. Generic drugs work the same way as branded drugs and they must also be taken in the same manner. But the problem at the clinical level is that one group of patients is satisfied while another group is not; they claim that they have not been cured. The problem is often with their uncontrolled diet, other co-morbid conditions and their lifestyle. Once they take branded drugs, they claim to be fine, which often confuses us too.”
Dr K. Narsimulu, a senior general physician and professor of general medicine, said, “There is a purposeful bad-mouthing of generic drugs that they are not good in quality. But consumers must be made aware and assured that generic drugs go through the same rigid standards of clearances and checks like any innovative drug. They contain the same active ingredients and are identical in strength, dosage, form and administration.”
The most common example cited is of paracetamol which is available for '2 (500 mg) for 10 tablets in its generic form to Rs 30 (500 mg) for 10 tablets.
Dr Sai Kumar Katam, national president of Doctor of Pharmacy Association said, “There is a huge difference in the price, colour, flavour and addition of other inactive ingredients which makes generic drugs look different from the branded drugs. These differences confuse patients. Trademark laws do not allow generic drugs to look exactly like branded drugs. Hence it is the duty of the doctor and also the pharmacist to explain the cheaper alternatives to patients.”
