Ensure meds aren't under the influence

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Henceforth, doctors are required to prescribe medication using generic names as opposed to brand names. So, effectively, paracetamol instead of, say, Calpol. This gives patients choice.

Medicines account for 76-80% of household out-of-pocket expenditure on health. The growing network of Jan Aushadhi Kendras makes it possible to substantially reduce healthcare spend. Easy access to generic medicines could disincentivise pharma companies from 'hard-selling' branded alternatives with medical practitioners.

The quality of generics, though, is a problem, with standardisation and quality control real concerns across the spectrum.

Transparency on medications prescribed will provide necessary oversight to ensure compliance and address overmedication. The push for digitalisation can be leveraged for transparency. India could adopt the French practice requiring doctors to enter anonymised information on drugs they prescribe.

For this, GoI must move ahead with the Digital Information Security in Healthcare Act (DISHA). There is a ban on doctors attending meetings sponsored by pharma or health sector companies. The physician-pharma company relationship is problematic, yet necessary.