Major hospitals in the city can prescribe branded medicines along with their generic equivalents. According to a source, the Medical Council of India (MCI) recently approved the demand of Association of Hospitals (AOH), a body of 53 major hospitals in the city, which complained about the risks of unqualified chemists dispensing generic medicines. The MCI had issued a circular on April 21, instructing doctors to prescribe drugs with generic names as much as possible.
The move was to benefit millions of poor people as branded medicines are extremely expensive. “Every physician should prescribe drugs with generic names legibly and preferably in capital letters and he/she shall ensure there is a rational prescription and use of the drug,” the circular had read. “As observed, most pharmacies are run by unqualified chemists who might prescribe medicines that are similar or choose…
