Dr. MC Gupta clarifies a common question that doctors have with regards to dispensing medicines- if a license is required to do so, and if separate receipts have to be issued to patients for the same.  But before you begin reading, take the poll below and let us know what you think.

QUESTION--Can doctors dispense medicines? Is there any requirement of license? Do we have to issue separate receipts for medicines?

ANSWER—

1--The following is the position as per the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945:

i)—Doctors are allowed to dispense medicines to their own patients for their personal use without obtaining a drug licence.

ii)—They should maintain a register / records showing the following:

• Date, price and other details of purchase / purchase vouchers
• Date of expiry, batch no.
• Stock register
• Record of supply to patients

iii)—Please note that a doctor is not allowed to run an open shop for sale of medicines to public.

2—There is no need to issue separate receipt of payment for drugs supplied by a doctor to a patient. However, such a receipt should be supplied if demanded by the patient.

Disclaimer- The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author's and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of M3 India.

Content from the writer has been directly replicated on the website. No edits have been made.

The writer, Dr. MC Gupta is a practising lawyer specialising in medical negligence cases. He also has an MD Medicine from AIIMS, Delhi where he also worked as a faculty member for 18 years, later working another 10 years as a Professor and Dean at National Institute of Health and Family Welfare, New Delhi, before pursuing law.