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Doctor are again allowed to prescribe drugs by brands
In hospitals, physicians are now allowed to specify not only INN when prescribing drugs, but also the brand (trade name). This is stated in the order of the Ministry of Health which was registered in the Ministry of Justice in August (Izvestia possesses the copy of the document).
In hospitals, physicians are now allowed to specify not only INN when prescribing drugs, but also the brand (trade name). This is stated in the order of the Ministry of Health which was registered in the Ministry of Justice in August (Izvestia possesses the copy of the document).
Earlier doctors when prescribing drugs in hospitals and outpatient clinics were allowed to indicate the brand only in exceptional circumstances, for example if the patient cannot tolerate some drugs. These rules were introduced in 2012 and were the part of the roadmap to promote competition in the market of medicines, approved by the order of the Russian government.
The Federal Anti-Monopoly Service believes that the new order of the Ministry of Health is contrary to the Government order and can lead to a weakening of competition and the growth of corruption.?
The Rules of ordering treatment and prescription of drugs is contained in the Order of the Russian Ministry of Health dated December 20, 2012 No. 1175. It states that health workers should use the international nonproprietary name (INN, i.e. the name of the active ingredient of the drug recommended by the World Health Organization). If INN is not available, the "group name" shall be used (assigned to drugs combined into groups in terms of composition of active substances).? Only if INN and group name are both absent, the doctor is allowed to specify the brand name in the prescription.
Besides, the brand name can be indicated if the patient does not tolerate some analogs or in other exceptional circumstances. If this is the case, the relevant decision shall be made by a special medical commission. The new order of the Russian Ministry of Health amends the rules with a provision, which introduces a different procedure for inpatient facilities.
The amendment stipulates, "the prescription of drugs when medical services are provided at the inpatient facilities shall be made using an international non-proprietary, group or brand name." The criteria when to use this or that name are not provided, meaning that doctors can decide themselves.?
Another innovation is that the prescribing physician is not required to indicate his/her position.? Let us note that the roadmap "Development of competition and improvement of antimonopoly policy" approved by the Government in December 2012 contains the paragraph "introduction of requirement to prescribe drugs using prescription blanks and international nonproprietary names."?
Nadezhda Sharavskaya, the deputy head of the social control and trade department of FAS reminded that the Ministry of Health has already reported on the implementation of this item, but now returns to the "old corruptive scheme".
Read more: http://izvestia.ru/news/591214
