AGARATLA, March 3 (TIWN): All the three generic medicine counters of the state are having less number of generic medicines and the three generic medicine counters are filled with surgical kits and baby kits, instead of having sufficient amount of generic medicines.

Speaking to the media persons at office President of Tripura Chemists & Druggists' Associations N.D. Roy said that all the three generic medicine counters of the state are having less number of generic medicines and all the counters are mostly packed with surgical kits and baby kits.

Earlier, a section of patients alleged that the doctors are not prescribing generic medicines to the patients to earn money from the medicine shops owner as commission by prescribing other medicines.  It is to be mentioned here that as per the guideline of Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics Regulation- 2002) use of generic names of drugs in prescription by the doctors became mandatory unless there is no such generic medicine items available in the stores. Apart from this guideline, the High Court of Tripura on WP(C) (PIL) 01 of 2013 on September 10 and 24, 2013, July 14, 2014 and lastly on November 11, 2014 instructed the concerned authority to issue instructions to the doctors working in the government hospitals or in their private clinic unless there is no generic drug of the type available.

But a section of doctors are still maintaining to prescribe ‘branded’ medicines even after huge availability of generic drug items. As a result, people are unwillingly bound to accept ‘branded’ medicines prescribed by the doctors.

Tripura Chemist and Drugiest Association held press conference. TIWN Pic March 3