The National Medical Commission (NMC) has decided to temporarily suspend its mandate that required doctors to exclusively prescribe generic medications for patients. This decision follows interventions from the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and the Federation of Resident Doctors Association, who raised their concerns with the union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.
Initially, the NMC’s Regulations for Registered Medical Practitioners (Professional Conduct) of 2023 enforced the prescription of generic drugs as a compulsory practice for doctors, alongside other instructions. The rationale behind this move was the significantly lower cost of generic medicines—ranging from 30% to 80% less than branded drugs which was expected to reduce overall healthcare expenses.
However, medical practitioners expressed reservations about the quality and effectiveness of generic drugs. They voiced their worries that the reliability and potency of these drugs might be compromised due to the absence of standardized testing and approval procedures. Unlike branded drugs, which offer a higher level of quality assurance, generic drugs were viewed with skepticism.
The IMA argued that the requirement to prescribe generic drugs undermines comprehensive medical care and erodes the autonomy of medical professionals. While the doctors supported the government’s underlying intention, they were concerned that this directive could potentially undermine the quality of care they are able to provide.
Dr. Sharad Kumar Agarwal, the National President of IMA, and Dr. Anilkumar J Nayak, the Secretary-General, jointly stated that the directive seemed to shift decision-making authority from medical practitioners to pharmacists or those in pharmacy roles. This shift was seen as potentially contrary to the best interests of patients, as it entrusts a crucial treatment decision to non-medical personnel.
Dr. Rajeev Sood, the Vice Chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot, also voiced opposition to the directive. He expressed concerns that samples of generic medicines were not adequately tested, leading to uncertainties about their quality. While the pharmaceutical sector is heavily regulated in India, the testing process for available medicines remains intricate. Both the samples and established criteria for testing lack sufficient quality assurance. Dr. Sood highlighted that while doctors prescribe medications, chemists have the authority to dispense any medicine, thereby contributing to a lack of regulation within the pharmaceutical sector and among chemist shops.