Medical reps’ entry banned during OPD hrs

Karam Prakash
Tribune News Service
Patiala, June 22

The authorities at the Government Rajindra Hospital have banned entry of medical representatives (MRs) during the OPD (Outdoor Patient Department) hours. The move is stated to have come after The Tribune raised the issue of MRs of different pharmaceutical companies making rounds of senior doctors at the hospital during the OPD hours.

In the recent development, the authorities concerned have issued fresh warnings to doctors to refrain them from engaging MRs during the OPD hours. Doctors have been asked to dedicate their OPD timings only to patients.

“Following warnings of the authorities, many doctors have already snapped ties with MRs of different medicine companies and private labs. They have strictly prohibited entry of MRs in their respective OPDs,” said sources.

Besides, doctors have also glued posters outside their respective OPD wards, which read: “Medical executives are not allowed in the OPDs.” Some doctors, have pasted posters displaying: “MRs can visit only after the OPD hours” while others warn: “MRs to meet in indoor, not in the OPD.”

These efforts against the MRs, experts believe, will gradually end the unethical practice, which has been going for a long time.

In fact, the MRs in the name of promoting their products coax doctors into prescribing their expensive medicines. Ultimately, it is the poor patients, who bear the brunt of these expensive medicines, prescribed by doctors. Moreover, these MRs waste valuable time of doctors, which is meant for patients.

However, experts believe that there was no need for doctors to meet the MR’s in government hospitals. They said some of the best government hospitals had already banned MRs entry on the hospital premises.

Meanwhile, a senior doctor of the Department of Surgery on the condition of anonymity said, “The MRs update our knowledge about recent advancements in medicines by different companies. There is no harm if we meet them after the OPD hours.”

Contesting the claim, some doctors at the Rajindra Hospital suggested that they (doctors) could use other means such as online updates to know about new developments in their respective fields. Moreover, the Indian Medical Council should hold regular seminars and conferences to update knowledge of doctors, said experts.

Meanwhile, Dr KK Aggarwal, Principal, Government Medical College, said, “I have issued a circular to doctors in order to refrain from such activities and warned them that action will be taken if any MR is found in their OPD ward. We have strictly asked doctors to dedicate their OPD hours only to patients.”