The Supreme Court on Friday sought the response of the Centre, states/UTs and the National Medical Commission (NMC) on a plea to take disciplinary action against all those doctors who fail to prescribe generic medicines.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud issued notices to the
authorities on the petition
filed by an advocate Kishan Chand Jain complaining that despite The Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette, and Ethics) Regulations, 2002, clearly mandating doctors to prescribe only
generic medicines, doctors continue to promote only expensive branded medicines.

The present petitioner has submitted that prices of generic medicines (off-patented) can be 50 per cent to 90 per cent lower than those of branded medicines. This price difference makes generic drugs more affordable and accessible to a broader section of the population.

To enhance the affordability and accessibility of medications, India has implemented regulations aimed at ensuring the use of generic names in prescriptions.

The petition filed through advocate E.C. Agrawala, cited the 2002 regulations, which mandated doctors to prescribe only drugs by their generic names.