The orders issued by the National Medical Commission (NMC) which had barred doctors from prescribing medicines other than generic drugs has been put on hold with immediate effect. The decision was made after the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and the Federation of Resident Doctors Association approached the Centre and Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.
The National Medical Commission’s Registered Medical Practitioner (Professional Conduct) Regulations, 2023, had made the prescription of generic drugs mandatory for doctors, along with other directives. The regulatory body had stated that since generic medicines are 30 to 80 per cent cheaper than branded drugs, this new rule would lower healthcare costs.
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was also filed in the Supreme Court seeking stringent disciplinary actions against registered medical practitioners who do not prescribe generic alternatives to branded names.
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