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New Delhi, The National Medical Commission has directed all medical colleges to set up sub-committees to monitor prescription practices and also include the importance of writing legible and clear prescriptions in the curriculum.
In a letter sent on December 15 to secretaries and principal secretaries of health departments of all states and union territories and directors and deans of all medical institutions under it, the NMC said the direction is based on the orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court issued on August 27.
As per the court orders, NMC is required to include and reinforce the importance of legible and clear handwriting in medical prescriptions in the curriculum of all medical colleges and institutions in India.
The court held that a legible medical prescription or document is an essential component of the right to health under Article 21 of the Constitution.
It further cited the provisions of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, the Indian Medical Council Regulations, 2002 and the MCI Notification dated September 21, 2016, which mandate that every physician should write prescriptions legibly and preferably in capital letters.
Reference has also been made to the Medical Establishment Act, 2010 and related rules on electronic health records, emphasizing the need for legibility and clarity in medical documentation.
NMC felt the need for strong and structured monitoring of prescription practices in all medical colleges as per the rules currently in force.
“Therefore, each medical college will set up a dedicated sub-committee under the Drugs and Therapeutics Committee to monitor prescriptions and ensure compliance with statutory, regulatory and ethical standards,” the communication said.
The subcommittee will develop a structured plan for the systematic evaluation of prescriptions to assess compliance with applicable regulations and guidelines.
It will review and analyze prescription patterns, identify deviations, and recommend corrective measures to improve compliance and ensure that the findings of each assessment are recorded in the minutes of DTC meetings and make such records available to the NMC.
In its communication, the Commission further reminded medical colleges that, as per the prevailing rules, “every physician should prescribe drugs with generic names clearly and preferably in capital letters, and he shall ensure rational prescription and use of drugs.”
NMC said that compliance with these instructions is mandatory.
“All institutions are directed to immediately constitute a sub-committee and operationalize the prescribed monitoring mechanism without any delay,” it said.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without any modifications to the text.
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