Bengaluru, Nov 7 (PTI) Karnataka Health Minister U T Khader on Saturday said instructions have been issued to government hospitals to immediately stop the practice of prescribing medicines to patients on plain white slips and asking them to purchase them from outside pharmacies.
He said poor patients visiting government hospitals must be provided free and quality medicines within the hospital premises. Khader warned of strict action against doctors and pharmacies violating the directive.
"Poor patients coming to government hospitals must get free and quality medicines at the hospitals itself. The practice of writing prescriptions on white slips and asking patients to buy medicines from outside must stop immediately," Khader said in a post on X.
He said the government would not allow unauthorised sale of medicines through private medical stores using prescriptions written on plain white paper.
"If doctors are found prescribing medicines on white slips and directing patients to purchase them from outside, or if medicines are dispensed by private medical stores without an authorised letterhead, the licences of such medical stores will be cancelled," he warned.
The minister also said strict action would be taken against doctors involved in the practice and senior officials found negligent in enforcing the directive.
"Any negligence or irresponsibility in public healthcare services will not be tolerated," he said, emphasising that government benefits must reach poor patients transparently and that the prescribed rules must be strictly followed.
