Agartala, January 18 (TIWN): Even with the huge availability of common generic drugs in the stores, patients are being deprived of availing generic medicines as a section of doctors are allegedly maintaining to prescribe ‘branded’ medicines in the government hospitals till date.

According to an official source, generic drug was introduced to ensure quality medicines at affordable prices to all. At present, a total of 127 different types of commonly prescribed drugs have been made available along with some surgical items as well in the different generic stores, said source.

As many as 3 generic drug counters are running successfully in the state while to serve the patients in a better way, more generic counters are likely to be opened soon in the different parts of the state. Tripura Markfed, a state cooperative society has been entrusted to run this Generic drugs store, source added.

With the sky-rocketing costs of healthcare in recent times, at a time when choosing generic drugs may be the way to keep costs lower with equal efficiency of branded drugs, a section of doctors are allegedly depriving the patients by not prescribing generic medicines in the government hospitals even after receiving instruction from Medical Council of India for prescribing generic drugs in compulsory basis. As a result, people are unwillingly bound to accept ‘branded’ medicines prescribed by the doctors.

It is worthy to mention here; As per the guideline of MCI (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics Regulation- 2002), use of generic names of drugs in prescription by the doctors became mandatory on December 16, last year unless there is no such generic medicine items available in the stores.