GMC Anantnag doctors violating official orders , not prescribing generic medications

Medical superintendent GMC Anantnag issued order after the Prescription Audit report submitted by the Nodal officer raised serious issues regarding the prescription of patients.

Sameer Ahmad

Anantnag 19 Jan: Doctors here at GMC Anantang do not write generic drugs for which Jan Aushadhi Kendra and AMRIT stores are already operating in the hospital to benefit the patients.

Arising State received an order copy from sources indicating that the medical superintendent of GMC Anantnag has written to all doctors of the Associated Hospital GMC Anantnag in response to the prescription audit report submitted by the Nodal Officer that raised serious concerns regarding patients whose prescriptions do not include generic drugs and the name of the unit/department.

“Thus, it is once again urged that generic drugs be prescribed in the hospital for which Jan Aushadhi Kendra and AMRIT stores are already functional so that patients can benefit from the prescriptions and make proper signatures, write full names and departments on each and every prescription, the order reveals.”

Sources report that doctors at GMC Anantnag are not following orders from officials. As a result, poor patients are unable to afford expensive branded medicines and are forced to buy generic versions instead of branded ones.

However ,before this order In July last year the Medical Superintendent issued a circular in GMC Anantnag following the observations raised by prescription Audit Committee after monitoring the prescription of doctors from OPD and causality needs to be addressed on priority basis.

Sources said that nearly all doctors at the GMC Anantnag are breaking the official orders and neither are writing generic drugs nor are the prescriptions being signed and stamped properly.

Official sources have told Arising that generic drugs are copycat versions of branded drugs and are the same in strength, quality, efficacy, and safety as their branded counterparts. They cost 80 to 90 percent less than the branded medicines as manufactures do not have to spend on the development and promotion of the drug,” they said.

The perception among people is that generic drugs are cheaper, but they will be less effective, he said. Almost all of the government hospitals in Anantnag District continue to give out expensive branded medications when equally effective and cheaper alternatives are available ,they said.

It is imperative that the government raises awareness among the public, so that their perceptions of generic drugs will change,so that the poor people will be benefited,they said.