'Identify Deviations': Medical Body Tells Hospitals Unclear Prescriptions Risk Patient Safety

Last Updated:December 17, 2025, 08:37 IST

The panels in medical colleges will “review and analyse prescription patterns, identify deviations, and recommend corrective measures for improving adherence.”

The move follows an order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which held that a readable medical prescription is part of the right to health under Article 21 of the Constitution. (AI generated image)

India’s apex medical body, the National Medical Commission (NMC), has directed all medical colleges and hospitals to closely monitor how prescriptions are written, stressing that unclear or illegible prescriptions can directly affect patient safety, News18 has learnt. The move covers public hospitals including AIIMS, Ram Manohar Lohiya Hospital, Lady Hardinge Hospital, Safdarjung Hospital, Army hospitals and ESIC hospitals. 

The panel will not only monitor the prescription practices in the medical college linked hospitals but also teach best prescription writing practices via the medical curriculum.

The move follows an order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which held that a readable medical prescription is part of the right to health under Article 21 of the Constitution. Acting on this order, the NMC has now asked medical colleges to formally track prescription practices and strengthen oversight within hospitals.

In a notice issued on December 11, seen by News18, the NMC said that “every medical college shall establish a dedicated Sub-Committee, under the Drugs and Therapeutics Committee (DTC), for monitoring prescriptions and ensuring compliance with the statutory, regulatory, and ethical standards."

Panel to monitor prescription practices

In a follow-up letter issued on December 15 to principals and deans of all medical colleges, the NMC instructed institutions to form the sub-committee “immediately" and begin monitoring without delay. Compliance with these directions has been made “mandatory."

The commission has laid down clear responsibilities for this sub-committee.

According to the directions, the panel will “develop a structured plan for systematic appraisal of prescriptions to assess compliance with applicable regulations and guidelines." It will also “review and analyse prescription patterns, identify deviations, and recommend corrective measures for improving adherence."

The NMC has further said that “the findings of each appraisal are recorded in the minutes of the DTC meetings" and that medical colleges must “make such records available to the National Medical Commission whenever called for." Institutions have also been instructed to “ensure timely implementation of all recommended measures to enhance compliance of the Court order."

Why has such a step been taken?

The NMC said the need for such monitoring arises because existing rules already require doctors to write prescriptions clearly, yet compliance has remained uneven. Current regulations mandate that “every physician should prescribe drugs with generic names legibly and preferably in capital letters, and he/she shall ensure rational prescription and use of drugs."

The commission said the steps are aimed at improving clarity in medical documentation, reducing prescription errors, and ensuring that hospitals follow legal and ethical standards laid down under existing medical laws.

News india 'Identify Deviations': Medical Body Tells Hospitals Unclear Prescriptions Risk Patient Safety

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