Many TB prescriptions outside national programme do not follow treatment guidelines, study finds
A systematic review of 34 studies found 53.3% of anti-TB prescriptions in non-programmatic settings were faulty, with substantial variation across States and an estimated 2–3 million potentially inappropriate prescriptions annually
A major study has revealed that over half of the anti-tuberculosis prescriptions dispensed outside India's National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) do not adhere to prescribed treatment guidelines. Conducted through the PRAMAN India systematic review and meta-analysis, the research examined 34 studies from 1991 to 2024 involving 3,834 real-world anti-TB treatment records.
The findings indicate a 53.3% prevalence of faulty prescriptions (95% CI: 42.2–64.1%), representing a significant decline in the last few decades. Between 1990 and 1999, the crude prevalence was 68.6%, which fell to 32.6% during 2020-2024. Extrapolation based on private sector treatment volumes suggests that approximately 2-3 million anti-TB prescriptions could be incorrect annually in India's non-programmatic healthcare sector – roughly four to five potentially faulty prescriptions every minute.
The study also identified that certain states, such as Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Delhi, had faulty prescription rates above the overall 50.8%. The researchers recommend strengthening the link between private providers and the NTEP through Public-Private Mix models, continuing medical education, digital clinical decision-support tools, and referral mechanisms to ensure standardised treatment for all TB patients.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu - Sci-Tech's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
