NMC Directs Medical Colleges to Monitor Prescription Practices, Stress Legible, Clear Handwriting

Hyderabad:The National Medical Commission (NMC) has directed medical colleges and institutions to constitute a dedicated sub-committee under their drugs and therapeutics committee (DTC) to monitor prescription practices and ensure compliance with statutory, regulatory and ethical standards, including legible and clear handwriting in medical prescriptions.

In a communication issued on Monday, the commission informed principals and deans of medical colleges that the decision followed a Punjab and Haryana High Court order dated August 27, which held that a legible medical prescription was an essential component of the Right to Health under Article 21 of the Constitution.

The commission said the importance of clear handwriting in prescriptions must be included and reinforced in the medical curriculum of all institutions. The court had also referred to provisions of the NMC Act, 2019, the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002, and earlier notifications mandating that prescriptions be written legibly and preferably in capital letters.

As per the directions, the newly formed DTC sub-committee will be responsible for systematic appraisal of prescriptions, reviewing prescribing patterns, identifying deviations, and recommending corrective measures. The findings must be recorded in DTC meeting minutes and made available to the NMC whenever required. Institutions have also been instructed to ensure timely implementation of corrective actions to comply with the court order.

The NMC reiterated that prescribing drugs with generic names in clear and legible handwriting and ensuring rational use of medicines is mandatory. All medical colleges have been asked to constitute the sub-committee immediately and operationalise the monitoring mechanism without delay.