The country’s apex medical regulator has warned the doctors of action if they fail to adhere to its guideline on prescribing the drugs only in generic names and writing prescriptions legibly.

The Medical Council of India (MCI) has also asked the medical practitioners to ensure that there is rational prescription and use of drugs, failing which “strict disciplinary action” will be taken if they fail to adhere to it orders.

The MCI reiterated its 2016 directive, few days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed on putting in place a legal framework to ensure that the doctors prescribe low cost generic medicines to the patients.

It has asked the medical community to follow its 2016 notification in which the MCI had amended the clause 1.5 of the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002 mandating the doctors to prescribe medicines by generic names in place of brand names.

Recently, while inaugurating a multi-speciality hospital in Surat, Modi had said that the doctors write prescriptions in such a way that the poor people do not understand their handwriting and they end up buying medicines from the private stores at high prices.

“All the registered medical practitioners under the IMC Act are directed to comply with the aforesaid provisions of the regulations without fail,” said the MCI circular, issued to the Deans, Principals of Medical Colleges, Directors of all the hospitals, Presidents of all State Medical Councils.

The government is also revising the National List of Essential Medicines of 2015 to include more medicines.

The Jan Aushadhi programme, under which the government provides essential medicines at reasonable rates at specially established shops, is also being reinforced.