Doctors yet to prescribe generic medicines in Assam

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Majority of doctors in Assam are yet to prescribe generic drugs to their patients forcing the latter to purchase the costly branded medicines.

The development has come even after the State Health department last year appealed to the pharmacists to ignore the prescriptions of doctors who prescribe branded medicines instead of generic ones. In 2017, the Medical Council of India (MCI) had asked doctors across the country to prescribe generic medicines.

Branded drugs are medicines which have a name given to them by a company for the purpose of advertising. A generic drug is a pharmaceutical drug that contains the same chemical substance as a drug that was originally protected by chemical patents. Generic drugs are allowed for sale after the patents on the original drugs expire.

When contacted several doctors at the Gauhati Medical College & Hospital (GMCH), Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital (MMCH) and private hospitals have cited various reasons, including lack of clear guidelines from the State Health department for prescribing generic drugs.

"Till the time production and marketing of branded drugs is allowed in India, their prescription cannot be banned in any part of the country. The branded drugs can be banned only after the government stops issuing licences for their production. Before the government makes generic drugs mandatory, it must ensure adequate production and availability of quality generic drugs and stop production of branded drugs (except patented drugs) completely," a senior doctor at GMCH said.

The doctor said since generic drugs are not available in majority of pharmacies there is no option but to prescribe branded medicines of different companies.

Another doctor said the MIC's notification in 2017 stated that every physician should prescribe generic legibly and preferably in capital letters.

"The MCI's notification isvague as to whether doctors should 'only' prescribe generic drugs. At the same time, it does not prohibit a doctor from writing the branded drugs. Prescribing drugs with generic names only means writing chemical name of the drug. I am hugely confused as to whether I should prescribe generic or branded medicines to my patients as neither the MCI nor the Health department has clarified the issue so far," the doctor said.

Many are, however, not convinced with the explanation and reasons given by doctors to prescribe branded drugs. "Big medicine companies lure doctors to prescribe branded medicines. These companies offer various costly gifts including sponsoring domestic and foreign trips to doctors," a former senior marketing official at a top pharmaceutical company alleged.

It may be mentioned here that a multiple-stage survey conducted a few years ago by Consumer Unity & Trust Society International, a reputed NGO, revealed that unholy nexus between various healthcare providers, including doctors and private hospitals, had become a stumbling block in delivering benefits to the people.

The survey has found that the government's various welfare schemes like providing free medicines and equipping the public hospitals with hi-tech machinery to conduct investigations at affordable rates have not proved beneficial for the poor and needy because of "collusive behaviour" of the healthcare providers.

The survey even found that a section of doctors were taking costly gifts like cars and air-conditioners from medicine companies and medical representatives to prescribe costly medicines for patients.

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