The Indian Medical Association (IMA) will not support the Medical Council of India (MCI)'s recent directive, on prescribing medicines only in generic terms, without proper mechanism to monitor the quality of generic medicines in the country.

Chairman of IMA-IT committee Dr Srinivasa Raju maintained that the IMA favours supporting only rational and quality prescription methods. So without proper mechanism to monitor the quality of generic medicines, the association would not support the directive issued by the MCI recently.

The MCI last month had issued a directive to all the heads of medical colleges, hospitals and its state chapters asking them to prescribe medicines only in generic terms.

“Without proper monitoring system, we cannot support this direction. IMA is advocating for quality and affordable drugs. If the government is able to supply quality generic drugs, IMA has no objection. We always support rational and quality prescription. Unless good monitoring system is implemented, we can't support unilateral generic drug usage. The doctor should have the liberty to choose the medicines,” argued Dr Raju, who is also the secretary of Hospital Board of India--IMA AP state.

Responding to Pharmabiz on the directive of MCI, Dr Raju opined that doctor is the first and foremost person directly answerable to the patient and unless good quality drugs are available freely, it is difficult for them to promote stipulated generic drugs. In some instances, it is found that generic drugs are costlier than branded medicines. He said government is marketing generic medicines through its Jan Aushadhi shops in certain states, but the availability of quality generic medicines is a huge concern.

He suggested that steps should be taken to open chain of Jan Aushadhi stores throughout the country, and private hospitals must be encouraged to start quality generic shops without licence conditions. The doctor said his association has advised its members that the focus of the prescription should be on the quality and efficacy of the drugs, and only the highest quality drugs with best possible pharmacological properties should be recommended.

He said the MBBS doctors are well studied on Indian pharmacopoeia, so it would be better to allow all modern doctors dispense the medicines to their own patients without the role of a pharmacist. For maintaining own pharmacy and dispensing medicines to own patients, permission should be granted and the drug control officials should be barred from entering the doctors’ premises. Dr Raju said the IMA wants the government of India to undertake measures to strengthen the monitoring system of medicines in a qualitative way at all levels without any laxity. Likewise, the government should take steps to eradicate the quackery from every corner of the country.

He further argued that there is no quality control mechanism over the formulations at retail and at distributor level. He said although Drugs & Cosmetics Act, and Pharmacy Act mandate that dispensation of drugs in a pharmacy should be carried out by a qualified pharmacist, 90 per cent of retail outlets in the country are run by non-pharmacy people.