The Health and Medical Education Department (H&ME) has sanctioned the constitution of prescription audit committees at the government health institutions across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

The prescription audit committees will be formed in the government medical colleges at the district and sub-district levels. The committees would keep a check on the prescriptions issued by the doctors besides containing the reported unethical practices of some health care professionals. According to a government order, at the government medical college level, the medical superintendent of the concerned hospital shall be the chairman of the committee, while the assistant/associated professor, pharmacology, along with the RMO/senior CMO shall be the members.

Similarly, at the district hospital level, the medical superintendent would act as the chairman while the district immunisation officer/DHO along with the senior medical officer, nominated by the Chief Medical Officer, shall be the members. At the block level, the BMO shall be the chairman along with two senior MOs nominated by the Chief Medical Officer as the members. The terms of references of the prescription audit committees have also been notified.

The HODs (principals) of government medial colleges, Director Health Services Jammu/Kashmir, Director, ISM, J&K, shall nominate the nodal officers in their respective institutions. The nominated nodal officers shall at random collect photocopies of at least 1 per cent of the prescriptions issued by government doctors in the OPDs on a daily basis. These prescriptions shall be scrutinised by the prescription audit committees to check whether they are written legibly in capital letters with the name of the doctor, his/her signature and registration number, if generic drugs are prescribed and preference given to the drugs which are available for free in the hospital supplies.

The prescription audit committees will also ensure that fortnightly reports are sent to the HODs, who would prepare a comprehensive monthly report along with their recommendation highlighting the actionable points, which shall be submitted to the administrative department.