India’s private and non-government healthcare sector continues to struggle with appropriate tuberculosis (TB) treatment, with more than 53 per cent of prescriptions issued outside government TB control programmes found to be faulty, according to a new nationwide study. Researchers estimate that nearly 20.6 lakh incorrect TB prescriptions are written every year equivalent to almost five faulty prescriptions every minute.
The findings come from the first comprehensive national assessment of anti-tuberculosis prescription practices in India’s non-programmatic healthcare settings. Experts warn that incorrect drug combinations, improper dosages and treatment durations not only reduce the chances of successful recovery but also increase the risk of drug-resistant tuberculosis, one of the country’s biggest public health challenges.
Private Sector Under Lens
According to the researchers, nearly 70 to 80 per cent of TB patients in India initially seek treatment in the private healthcare sector, making adherence to standard treatment protocols critical. However, inconsistent prescribing practices have persisted for decades despite repeated efforts to align private healthcare providers with national TB treatment guidelines. The study suggests that these lapses continue to undermine India’s TB elimination efforts.
The report calls for stronger engagement between public health authorities and private practitioners, regular training programmes, improved monitoring of prescriptions and wider adoption of standard treatment protocols. Researchers believe integrating private providers more effectively into the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) could significantly improve treatment quality and reduce the emergence of drug-resistant TB.
India accounts for the world’s highest tuberculosis burden and has set a target of eliminating the disease. Public health experts stress that achieving this goal will require consistent treatment standards across both public and private healthcare systems. They also emphasise that improving prescription quality is essential to reducing disease transmission, preventing antimicrobial resistance and ensuring better outcomes for patients nationwide.
