Health Minister Pijush Hazarika Appeal To Avoid Branded Drugs

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: Minister of State for Health Pijush Hazarika has appealed to the pharmacists to ignore the prescriptions of doctors who prescribe branded medicines instead of generic ones. Quite in sync with Hazarika, Bokajan MLA Dr. Numal Momin also appealed to the pharmacists to stay away from selling over-the-counter drugs.

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. Over-the-counter drugs, on the other hand, are medicines that are sold without following any prescriptions from doctors.

Speaking as the chief guest at a function organized on the occasion of the World Pharmacists Day by the All Assam Pharmacists Service Association (AAPSA) in Guwahati on Wednesday, Hazarika said: “Many doctors opt not to prescribe generic medicines despite their availability in the market. They opt to prescribe branded medicines. I appeal to the pharmacists not to accept prescriptions of branded medicines.”

Present at the function as the guest of honour, MLA Dr. Numal Momin, a former professor of the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, said: “The motto of medication is safe and effective medicines for all. All pharmacists should stick to this motto. They should desist themselves from selling over-the-counter medicines. This practice has been banned all over the world. The Supreme Court of India and the State government have also banned this practice. This problem has its roots at the lopsided doctor-patient ratio. Since it is not possible for doctors to prescribe medicines for each and every patient, the practice of over-the-counter sale of medicines is taking place. I hope this will be done away with when the State will have adequate number of doctors.”

Dr. Momin has also expressed concern over the menace of fake pharmacists working in the State.

The function anchored by AAPSA general secretary Sudhir Chandra Saha was presided over by AAPSA president Arun Bora.

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