An article on the new rule of prescribing generic medicine

 

Continous friction occur in the opinions between medical professionals and National Medical Commision on the new rule of prescribing generic medicines.

Generic medicines are manufactured and sold in different brand names, they have the same active ingredient, the non active ingredient varies from brand to brand.

Their mode of intake, dosage and their effects will be similar. For example Paracetamol is an active ingredient taken to relieve pain and fever, it is sold in different brand names like Tylenol, Excedrin, Calpol etc.

On august 2, the new rule on prescription of generic medicines to the patients was imposed by the National medical Commission (NMC). The rule mandates doctors to prescribe generic medicines instead of branded equivalents. In case of non compliance the professionals would be penalised and even their licenses would be cancelled.

In addition to that the rule also recommends medical professionals to give a typewritten and printed prescriptions to the patients to ensure clarity and misinterpretation.

NMC’s new rule was imposed to issue the exact medicines instead of their brands but it sparked up the medical professionals all over the country.

Medical professionals argue that any drug would cross quality and safety testing procedures and the branded ones will give assurance for the qualities. Prescribing branded ones will let the patients to consume a high quality product.

While debate between NMC  and Indian medical association (IMA) is on a fire IMA said that less than 0.1% of  drugs are tested for quality, buying a drug in Indian market is a challenge for public.

Some eminent persons in medical field gave their opinions that prices has to be fixed in manufacturing level and the loopholes of selling the same product at different prices has to be banned. They also add that offering generic medicine along with addressing the quality, distribution and chemist regulation is vital.