The Jan Arogya Abhiyan (JAA), Maharashtra, has demanded that the decision for prescribing medicines by generic names should not be withdrawn, rather be complemented by a range of measures to ensure wide availability of affordable and quality medicines. This comprehensive policy would not only benefit doctors, but the entire society, said activists from the Jan Arogya Abhiyan on Monday. If doctors do not write prescriptions for medicines by generic names, action would be taken against them as per the directive by the National Medical Council (NMC) on August 3. However, amidst the Health Ministry's advice and strong opposition from the Indian Medical Association (IMA), the NMC suspended the regulation on August 23. This retreat was not in public interest, said JAA, while urging doctors who practice medicine on the basis of science and medical ethics as well as public organisations in the health sector to oppose the withdrawal. Dr Abhay Shukla from JAA, Maharashtra, has said that "instead the NMC should take forward the process of making medicines affordable, while promoting prescribing by generic names". The JAA has demanded that the government take minimum measures, without further delay, to ensure that people get quality and well-priced medicines from the chemists. "Because patients do not have technical knowledge about medicines, and they are dependent on doctors for deciding about medicines to be used, they are very vulnerable. Big pharma firms make huge profits by forcing different expensive branded medicines down the throats of the patients, by convincing the prescribing doctors that their brand is 'better'," said Dr Shukla.
