Telangana govt directs doctors to only prescribe generic drugs

Hyderabad: To discourage government doctors from prescribing branded drugs, the Telangana government on Thursday directed them to only prescribe generic drugs while providing free consultations to patients. A generic drug prescription will provide an opportunity for the pharmacist at the government dispensary to issue drugs available in the stock, instead of forcing patients to purchase […]

Hyderabad: To discourage government doctors from prescribing branded drugs, the Telangana government on Thursday directed them to only prescribe generic drugs while providing free consultations to patients.

A generic drug prescription will provide an opportunity for the pharmacist at the government dispensary to issue drugs available in the stock, instead of forcing patients to purchase expensive branded medicines at private medical stores.

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At a review meeting, Health Minister T Harish Rao said: “To promote usage of generic drugs, government hospitals must build enough stock of generic drugs in their dispensaries that would last for at least three months.” There were instances of some government hospitals having excess stock of drugs while others faced a severe shortage.

“To address such inconstancies, all government dispensaries must be adequately stocked. The pharmacist at the government drug store must provide the daily inventory of drugs to doctors,” he said.

The Minister also directed health officials to quickly establish helpdesks at government hospitals, especially tertiary hospitals that have multiple Health Departments. “Quick and accurate information must be available at the help desks. They must help patients and their relatives, who often find it overwhelming in a large general hospital. Such facilities must be ready in a week,” he said.

The Minister made it clear that blood banks located in government hospitals will function under Superintendents and not State AIDS Control Society. The Superintendents must monitor and regulate the daily operations of blood banks, in addition to ensuring blood component separating machines are being utilised efficiently. There are 31 blood component separating machines in as many government blood banks and all such diagnostic tools must be utilised and not kept idle, he said. Superintendents must ensure doctors are available for free patient consultation between 9 am and 4 pm.

“We are receiving feedback that still there are many doctors who are not available between 9 am and 4 pm and are focusing on their private practice. Superintendents must ensure attendance through the biometric system is collected,” he said.