Chemists seek PM’s intervention in telemedicine guidelines issue

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 7

Seeking intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD), urged him to streamline the telemedicine guidelines in accordance with provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Pharmacy Act, 1948 to prevent misuse of prescription drugs.

Punjab Chemists’ Association president Surinder Duggal said that on March 25 this year telemedicine guidelines were notified by the board of governors by amending the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulation, 2002.

He said the step was taken with an aim to ease access to healthcare for patients. However, in order to make telemedicine consultation effective and protect public health, it should be done in accordance with the provisions of two Acts (Drugs and Cosmetics Act and Pharmacy Act and Rules).

He said as per the telemedicine guidelines, doctors can prescribe medicines via tele-consultation by sending photo, scan and digital copy of a signed prescription or e-prescription to the patient via email or any messaging platform or by transmitting the prescription directly to a pharmacy which is contradictory to the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and the Pharmacy Act.

There are ill consequences of prescription drugs if consumed without medical advice and a significant rise in antibiotic resistance is reported due to drug abuse and self-medication. He said as per drugs and cosmetics rules, the pharmacist should stamp the medicines as dispensed on prescription to stop people from getting the same prescription drugs from multiple pharmacies, he pointed out.

The Telemedicine Guidelines allow doctors to issue prescription by sending photograph of scanned copy of the prescription to patients. The scanned copy of prescription or photograph of prescriptions is not valid under applicable laws since it cannot be stamped to prevent multiple dispensations. In absence of stamping on prescription, there will be multiple dispensing of prescription which can lead to increase in self-medication. This could subsequently result in antibiotic resistance, Duggal said.

He said in order to obviate this risk, the association appealed to the Central Government to establish a national portal on which the doctors can email prescription and the patients or the pharmacist can access the prescription by using a unique OTP. The pharmacist can, after dispensing the prescription, either deface it or specify the quantity of medicine dispensed on the national portal itself so that once the medicines are dispensed the prescription cannot be reused.