Tripura asks docs to prescribe only generic medicines

Agartala: The Tripura government has directed physicians to prescribe only generic drugs at hospitals and private clinics with immediate effect.
An order from the director of Tripura Health Service, S R Debbarma, on Wednesday said every physician should prescribe drugs with generic names.
Debbarma said, “Apart from Medical Council of India guidelines, the Tripura high court has asked the government to ensure prescription of generic drugs instead of branded ones.”
He said such orders have been issued at least four times in the last one year and doctors were asked to prescribe branded medicines only if generic drugs were not available.
The government has even opened generic medicine stores in all major government hospitals, but the situation has remained unchanged, the medical officer added.
“Non-compliance of the government order and violation of MCI guidelines is a punishable offence. Hence, we reminded physicians to prescribe only generic medicines,” he added.
However, doctors argued that the government has opened such stores only in major government hospitals across the state. But no chemist shop in Tripura has stock of generic medicines for customers.
“If doctors started prescribing medicines in generic names, chemists will sell branded drugs of poor quality to make maximum profit. Who will ensure the quality of such drugs sold in the market against the generic prescription?” one of them asked.
The docors urged the government to review its decision until generic drugs are made available at all stores.