In near future, an ordinary patient too can make out what medicines his doctor has prescribed for him, and also know the cheaper alternatives to the prescribed drugs.
The Government has decided to make the medicos prescribe medicines “preferably” in capital letters. They will also be asked to mention the generic names of drugs they prescribe to help people buy them cheap.
Sloppy handwriting of physicians is responsible for 7,000 deaths each year across the world.
The Union Health Ministry will soon come out with a gazette notification asking doctors to prescribe medicines in capital letters to make them “legible” both to avoid such gross errors as also to make them readable for the common man.
The doctors will also have to mention the generic names of the drugs in the prescription, as per a proposed gazette notification to be issued under the Indian MCI Regulations by the next week by the Union Health Ministry.
However, there would no penalties or punishment for the doctor as such for not writing in capital letters.
According to an NGO Medscape India, which has spearheaded a campaign to address the issue, the number of fatal incidents due to unreadable prescriptions is internationally on the rise.
last year, Health Minister JP Nadda had agreed with concerns of some MPs in the Parliament that illegible prescription by doctors may lead to serious implications and even death in certain cases.
“The Central Government has approved to amend Indian Medical Council Regulations, 2002, providing therein that every physician should prescribe drugs with generic names in legible and capital latter and he/she shall ensure that there is a rational prescription and use of drugs,” Nadda said.