The new NMC bill lowers the entry barrier to becoming a health professional who can prescribe Schedule H drugs. Having studied community health in the early 2000s with various NGOs, I am not debating if certifying VHNs and CHS workers is a good thing. We do need more doctors, and with RMPs around, the rural (and urban poor) healthcare market is already not being served by MBBS doctors.
However, what's gone down in the US with "medical marijuana prescriptions" or prescription opioid abuse (See Hasan Minhaj talk about it on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkhMfgOT9Xs) is terrifying.
Pharmacies are rather loosely controlled in India. You can obtain most Schedule H drugs without a real prescription. As evidenced in this news article, unlicensed pharmacies abound (yeah!), and even licensed ones sell unlicensed drugs (double yeah!). Lakhs of medical professionals (not doctors) will soon have the power to legally prescribe medicines. So even if the government tightens up pharmacies, the prescription supply can potentially ease out if the new professionals aren't very careful or ethical.
If you see the Patriot Act episode linked above, you will learn that pharma companies aggressively market addictive substances to medical professionals. These new professionals will be targeted by some of the largest corporations in the world that are eyeing a rapid expansion of the 1.3 billion people consumer base in India.
Executive Summary: 𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗱𝗿𝘂𝗴 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘀, 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲. 𝗛𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗸𝗶𝗱𝘀. 𝗛𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘃𝘂𝗹𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀 (𝗮𝗻𝘅𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀, 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱, 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱, 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲).
However, what's gone down in the US with "medical marijuana prescriptions" or prescription opioid abuse (See Hasan Minhaj talk about it on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkhMfgOT9Xs) is terrifying.
Pharmacies are rather loosely controlled in India. You can obtain most Schedule H drugs without a real prescription. As evidenced in this news article, unlicensed pharmacies abound (yeah!), and even licensed ones sell unlicensed drugs (double yeah!). Lakhs of medical professionals (not doctors) will soon have the power to legally prescribe medicines. So even if the government tightens up pharmacies, the prescription supply can potentially ease out if the new professionals aren't very careful or ethical.
If you see the Patriot Act episode linked above, you will learn that pharma companies aggressively market addictive substances to medical professionals. These new professionals will be targeted by some of the largest corporations in the world that are eyeing a rapid expansion of the 1.3 billion people consumer base in India.
Executive Summary: 𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗱𝗿𝘂𝗴 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘀, 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲. 𝗛𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗸𝗶𝗱𝘀. 𝗛𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘃𝘂𝗹𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀 (𝗮𝗻𝘅𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀, 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱, 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱, 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲).