COIMBATORE:Even though the Medical Council of India (MCI) directed physicians in 2013 to write only the generic name of drugs in their prescriptions and not the trade name of a drug, the practice of mentioning the trade names of drugs continues among private doctors in Coimbatore.
The MCI had also issued circulars to deans of all medical colleges, directors of post graduate institutes and presidents of state medical councils on this as per the the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002. However, gross violation of this rule has been the norm in Coimbatore.
The practice of mentioning trade names will make people buy drugs at a higher price when the same drug of good quality is available cheap. Physicians resort to the unethical practice for kickbacks from drug firms.
The same compound of a drug was sold under different brand names with a cost difference of 10 times or more. For example, the drug spironolactone is the generic name of a diuretic for increasing urine output and this drug is produced by 15 firms. One of them sells it for just Rs 15 for 10 tablets while another firm sells one tablet for Rs 20.
Even though, the cost of drugs is different, all the drugs have the same effect and purpose and it is being governed by the Drugs and Cosmetics Department.
There are marketing executives to canvas the drugs with doctors in private hospitals, with offers like tour packages worth lakhs of rupees to foreign countries and other expensive gifts, to promote their company's drugs.
Express spoke to a marketing executive, who on condition of anonymity said, "There are companies which pay cash to doctors for prescribing the drugs. If they pay Rs 10,000 to a doctor, the latter has to ensure a sale of Rs 1 lakh to the company by prescribing the drug by name. It has been done by some fake drug firms which try to sell their five paise product for Rs 50 and it forces reputed firms in the field to follow the same path to survive."
"Even though there is an MCI directive, there is no authority in Tamil Nadu and in Coimbatore to implement it strictly. It is the poor people who suffer because of this," he said.
When contacted, Dr A Edwin Joe, Dean, Coimbatore Medical College Hospital, said, "The MCI directive has many advantages but it is flouted by private doctors. First of all, it will help doctors become familiar with pharmacological names, category and effects of a drug. If doctors follow the directive it will ensure transparency and professional integrity and will also minimise conflict of interest. After all, patients will benefit by buying medicines cheap."
He also added that the choice of selecting a particular drug should be by the patient. "I don't know who should take action against this and it has not been directed by any department so far," he said.