The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner Tukaram Mundhe’s directive barring hospitals from compelling patients to purchase medicines exclusively from in-house pharmacies has been widely welcomed as a patient-friendly move. However, activists and pharmacists say its implementation could face practical challenges.Healthcare professionals say treatment is built on trust, and many patients prefer the exact brand prescribed by their doctor. (REPRESENTATIVE PIC)Doctors often prescribe medicines from specific pharmaceutical companies, which may not be readily available at neighbourhood medical stores. As a result, patients’ relatives frequently have to visit multiple pharmacies in search of the prescribed medicines—a situation that becomes difficult during emergencies or when patients are admitted to intensive care units (ICUs).Although generic alternatives are available for many medicines, patients are often reluctant to switch brands because of concerns about their effectiveness and safety. Healthcare professionals say treatment is built on trust, and many patients prefer the exact brand prescribed by their doctor.Activists point out that while medicines with the same composition are sold under different brand names, doctors are often unwilling to take responsibility for substitutes suggested by pharmacists. This leaves patients and their families confused.Kailas Tandale, president, Maharashtra Registered Pharmacists Association (MRPA), welcomed the FDA’s decision but stressed that broader reforms are needed.“Patients should have the freedom to buy medicines from any licensed pharmacy. However, that choice must also be practical. Prescribed medicines should be easily available outside hospitals, and patients should have confidence in equivalent alternatives. Otherwise, many will continue to depend on hospital pharmacies despite having a choice,” he said.Abhijit More, state co-convener, Jan Aarogya Abhiyan, said doctors should prescribe medicines by mentioning both the brand name and the generic (chemical) name.Health activist Sharad Shetty said the directive marks an important step towards protecting patients’ rights.“Hospitals cannot restrict patients to purchasing medicines only from their own pharmacies and the government must ensure that quality generic medicines and commonly prescribed brands are readily available in the open market,” he said.