PIMA upset over DRAP notice to doctors

Islamabad: The Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) has expressed deep concern over DRAP's notification directing doctors to prescribe generic names of medicine instead of brand names.

Dr. Khubaib Shahid, Central President of PIMA, said in a statement on Friday that unplanned actions will have a negative impact on the healthcare system. It is not the jurisdiction of DRAP to issue instructions to doctors to write trade names or generic names of drugs. Regulatory bodies, including the Pakistan Medical Commission and the health department, have a responsibility to issue any such directive. The relevant government departments should issue a policy statement in this regard.

Dr. Khubaib added that this practice is taking place in many countries of the world, but it has only become possible after systematic planning and the establishment of infrastructure. First of all, there should be specified appropriate procedures to test the quality of hundreds of pharmaceutical companies in the country. Doctors deal directly with patients and they gain confidence in certain brands after years of using different medications. This move could shift the choice of medicine to medical stores that have no quality control experience. As a result, a new door of corruption or mismanagement may open, and it will affect only to patient or common man.

“PIMA strongly condemns any such move. In the past, such measures have not had a significant effect. As a result government had withdrawn that move. The implementation of any such decision without infrastructure should be avoided,” Dr. Khubaib said in a statement.