The country's apex medical body has also asked medical practitioners to ensure that there is rational prescription and use of drugs, failing which "strict disciplinary action" will be taken if they fail to comply.
The Medical Council of India (MCI) has warned doctors saying strict action will be taken against those who will fail to adhere to its guidelines on prescribing drugs only in generic names and writing prescriptions legibly.
The country's apex medical body has also asked medical practitioners to ensure that there is rational prescription and use of drugs, failing which "strict disciplinary action" will be taken if they fail to comply.
The circular, issued on April 21, was sent to deans, principals of medical colleges, directors of all the hospitals and presidents of all state medical councils.
The Medical Council of India has reiterated its 2016 directive, a few days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed on putting in place a legal framework to ensure that the doctors prescribe low cost generic medicines to the patients.
It has asked the medical community to follow its 2016 notification in which the Medical Council of India had amended clause 1.5 of the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002 mandating the doctors to prescribe medicines by generic names in place of brand names.
Recently, while inaugurating a multi-speciality hospital in Surat, the prime minister had said that doctors write prescriptions in such a way that poor people do not understand their handwriting and they end up buying medicines from private stores at high prices. This practice, he stated, should end.
The government is also revising the National List of Essential Medicines, 2015 to include more medicines.
Sources also stated that the Jan Aushadhi Scheme — under which the government provides essential medicines at reasonable rates at specially established shops — is being reinforced to benefit the common man.
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