Allow prescribing both generic, brand names: Pharma lobby, doctors to govt

The pharmaceutical industry has also aired concerns about quality if only generic names are penned in prescriptions

The pharmaceutical industry and doctors on Monday met central government representatives in Delhi and advocated for allowing writing both generic (molecule) and brand names for drugs along in prescriptions, sources said. 

In a two-hour long meeting, members of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), apex body of Indian medical professionals with around 400,000 doctors, and the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA) discussed new regulations issued by the National Medical Council (NMC) mandating the doctors to prescribe only generic medicines. 

A senior IMA official told Business Standard that the meeting was productive, and the government had taken note of the suggestions. “The doctors and industry have suggested that brand names should be mentioned in the prescription along with writing the molecule name. Otherwise, the power shifts to chemists, instead of a medical practitioner,” the official said, adding that industry conferences should be allowed to continue as they serve as platforms for idea exchange and ensure the continuity of medical education.
 

Whether the NMC revises its guidelines after industry feedback is to be seen. 

The IMA had earlier raised concerns about the new guidelines by the NMC, which is a government body regulating medical education and medical professionals.

India operates in a branded generic drugs market where pharma companies sell copy-cat drugs (those that are off-patent) under various brands. This means the same molecule can be sold under different brand names.

In its 'Regulations relating to Professional Conduct of Registered Medical Practitioners’ released recently on August 2, the NMC said: “Every RMP (registered medical practitioner) should prescribe drugs using generic names written legibly and prescribe drugs rationally, avoiding unnecessary medications and irrational fixed-dose combination tablets.”

Last week, the IMA issued a statement: “It is a matter of great concern for the IMA since this directly impacts patients’ care and safety. Generic promotion needs to be genuine.”

The pharma industry has also raised concerns around quality if only generic names are written in a prescription. 

Once doctors start prescribing only generic medicines or molecule names, the chemist can offer the cheapest option to patients, reducing patient costs. Industry insiders feel the move is a step towards implementing and codifying the Uniform Code of Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP), which is a voluntary set of guidelines preventing pharma companies from giving freebies to doctors.

The IMA feels if the Centre is serious about implementing generic drugs, it should not issue licences to branded drugs and must ensure the quality of generic drugs.

Interestingly, the chemists lobby is not happy with the move to prescribe only generic drugs too.

Rajiv Singhal, general secretary of the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD), said: “We find some challenges and concerns with this government’s decision for generics. There’s concern about potential monopolies by big companies in the future.” He expressed his concern about quality. “Substandard stuff has been found even among branded drugs sometimes.”

Singhal said making generics optional could help prevent monopolies and protect patient rights. This approach, however, might also influence the pharmaceutical industry and the availability of branded drugs, possibly leading to a decrease in the pharma industry's revenue, affecting research and development, and causing concerns about the effectiveness of generic drugs among some patients.  

The concern

• New rule mandates doctors to prescribe only generic medicines
• Pharma industry flags quality concerns related to generic medicines 
• India is a branded generic drugs market where pharma firms sell off-patent medicines