Medical Council of India orders docs to stick to generic name of drugs
Chennai: Irked over doctors across the country not including generic names of drugs in the prescriptions given to patients, the Medical Council of India (MCI), on Friday, amended its 2012 Circular. Making it mandatory for ‘every physician to prescribe drugs with generic drugs legibly and preferably in capital letters and to ensure that there is a rational prescription and use of drugs’, the MCI stated that any doctor found violating the clause would have to face suitable disciplinary action. Stating that many companies tend to keep the prices of their medicines high, an MCI source said, “Doctors tend to prescribe medicines that will cost a lot and urge patients to purchase the same from specific pharmacies. Such a law will, therefore, ensure that it is checked.”
With inspectors required to conduct surprise checks on pharmacies across the state, the MCI is about the hope that violations on the part of the doctors can be checked through the same. “Pharmacists are expected to keep a photocopy of the prescriptions as proof when inspectors conduct checks. This is indeed a good principle. We hope that the implementation is good as well,” the source added.
However, health experts, doctors and the general public are hassled by the circular. “Prescribing generic names of drugs will fail to assure quality, purity, the size of the molecules of the drugs and the like. This will only affect the patients,” said diabetologist Dr Anand Mathew. Fearing that the government’s order will cause companies to lose focus on ensuring the quality of drugs, Ramesh of the Tamil Nadu Chemists’ and Druggists’ Association, said that it is not the best move and will not serve to help the public.
Welcoming the move, Dr Ravindranath of the Doctors’ Association for Social Equality (Dase) said, “This is not new, but making it mandatory is great. Howev-er, instead of trying to check the prices of medicines through such an initiative, we request the government to produce drugs which could help bring down the cost drastically and also ensure quality.” Though many are angered by the move, there are some others who think that such an initiative could prevent pharmacies from looting the public.
“Doctors today are going out of their way to help some pharmacies get business. The pharmacists, on the other hand, do their share of showering doctors with freebies. Such corrupt practices need to be checked and the introduction of such a law could ensure the same,” said N Athisayarajan, a health activist.
