Bengaluru, 7 November

Karnataka Health Minister UT Khader said on Saturday that instructions have been issued to government hospitals to immediately stop the practice of prescribing medicines on plain white slips and asking patients to purchase them from outside pharmacies.

He said poor patients visiting government hospitals must be provided free medicines in the hospital. Khader warned of strict action against doctors and pharmacies violating the directive.

"Poor patients coming to government hospitals must get free medicines at the hospitals. The practice of writing prescriptions on white slips and asking patients to buy from outside must stop immediately," Khader said in a post on X.

He said the government would not allow the unauthorised sale of medicines through private medical stores using prescriptions written on plain white paper.

"If doctors are found prescribing medicines on white paper 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.

He also said that strict action would be taken against doctors involved and senior officials found negligent in enforcing the directive. "Any negligence in healthcare services will not be tolerated," he said.