Prescribe medicines rationally, MCI tells doctors

The Medical Council of India (MCI) has asked doctors to prescribe drugs rationally and write the names of medicines along with their generic names in capital letters.

“Every physician should prescribe drugs with generic names legibly and preferably in capital letters and he/she shall ensure that there is a rational prescription and use of drugs,” MCI said in a gazette notification on October 8.

The notification was issued to amend the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette, and Ethics) Regulation 2002. Approved for publication on September 21, this is an upgrade of the previous notification that says doctors should write generic names of the drugs they prescribe.

While irrational prescription of medicine is one of India’s biggest public health threats, experts questioned MCI’s motive to come out with the notification at a time when the council is under scanner for its gross failure to get rid of the corrupt practices in the health care system.

Creation of a separate body to replace the MCI is under the government’s consideration following the advice of a Parliamentary Standing Committee and recommendations of a high-level panel.

“The notification is too vague. The MCI is trying to create an impression that something is being done. This will not work unless the government comes out with treatment specific guidelines,” Chandra M Gulhati, a former consultant to the World Health Organisation (WHO) told DH.

Irrational prescriptions are one of the biggest ills in Indian health care. The public health workers, however, wonder if the notification is the best way to tackle this menace.

“The MCI neither has the ability nor the capacity to implement such a notification. It has no power to prosecute. How are they even going to monitor the doctors,” said Amit Sengupta, a doctor associated with the People’s Health Movement.

Irrational use of medicines is a major problem worldwide. The WHO estimates that more than half of all medicines are prescribed, dispensed or sold inappropriately, and that half of all patients fail to take them correctly.

India is one of the world’s biggest largest markets of irrational Fixed Dose Combinations (FDC) as such combinations worth Rs 40,000-50,000 crore are sold in India every year.

Pharmaceutical companies are locked in a legal battle with the government on stopping the sale of 344 such irrational FDC earlier this year.

“Irrational prescription is basically over prescription as doctors prescribe for 5-6 symptoms without accurately diagnosing the disease. But in the absence of mandatory refresher courses, doctors are often short of knowledge and confidence, leading to irrational prescription,” Sengupta added.