Sri Lanka, Oct. 6 -- The government has ordered doctors to write only the GENERIC name, not the brand name. On paper, it sounds pro-people. Cheap drugs for all. But on the ground, it is dangerous if implemented without safeguards.
Let me be honest and show both sides. THE PLUS SIDE - Why the Government Did It: It's cheaper for the patient: A generic is always cheaper than a branded product. It stops the Pharma Mafia: We know some doctors prescribe only one expensive brand because they get foreign trips, commissions and gifts from that company. Generic prescribing breaks that unholy nexus. In the UK, USA and Australia, doctors write the generic name. It is the global system and we should follow it.
But here's the minus side - the real dang...