NEW DELHI: The Union government said on Tuesday it has no data on disciplinary actions taken against registered medical practitioners (RMPs) who failed to prescribe drugs with generic names legibly or ensure rational use of drugs.
In a written response, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel said, “No data related to the number of disciplinary proceedings and penalties against RMPs in the past five years is maintained centrally by the ministry.”
She added that states have been advised to ensure the prescription of generic drugs and conduct regular prescription audits in public health facilities.
Patel noted that Clause 1.5 of the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette, and Ethics) Regulations, 2002, mandates that every physician prescribe drugs with generic names legibly and preferably in capital letters. The clause also stipulates that doctors must ensure rational prescription and use of drugs.
The former Medical Council of India (MCI) issued circulars on November 22, 2012, January 18, 2013, and April 21, 2017, instructing RMPs to comply with these regulations.
The National Medical Commission Act, 2019, gives state medical councils or the Ethics and Medical Registration Board (EMRB) of the National Medical Commission (NMC) the authority to take disciplinary action against doctors who violate these regulations.
Last year, the health ministry intervened after the NMC made it mandatory for doctors to prescribe only generic molecule names instead of brand names for drugs.
In an August 2023 notification, the NMC stated, “Every RMP should prescribe drugs using generic names legibly and prescribe drugs rationally, avoiding unnecessary medications and irrational fixed-dose combination tablets.”
However, following opposition from pharmaceutical companies and doctors, the ministry put the order on hold.