Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, May 11: The office of the commissioner of health and family welfare and AYUSH services has warned that doctors serving in government hospitals in the state who encourage patients to buy branded medicines that are available in medical shops outside will face stern action.

Through a circular issued on the subject, the office of the commissioner said that it has come to its notice that medical officers under health and family welfare department and medical education department often have been known to write prescriptions for branded medicines available in outside shops. In certain cases, they also encourage patients to buy specific medicines from certain shops and also bring pressure on the patients to buy these medicines. It said that this is against the public health policy of the government.

"The government has already taken steps to provide good quality medicines to people through its 'Janaushadi' and 'Jana Sanjivini' campaigns in the premises of government hospitals at very low prices. As such, encouraging or insisting on procuring branded medicines from other medical shops is objectionable. If such cases are found, steps will be initiated against the guilty immediately under Karnataka Civil Services Rules and Medical Council of India regulations," it warned.

The office of the commissioner has already directed the doctors falling under government hospitals and all hospitals under the government's ownership to prescribe only generic medicines to patients as mentioned under the above campaigns. It said that through its circular it had asked the doctors to encourage patients to buy only generic medicines. As the department has received complaints about prescribing branded medicines, the department has issued another circular, it is gathered.