ECHS advisory on clear and legible prescriptions by specialist doctors of empanelled HCOs
The ECHS has advised all empanelled Health Care Organisations (HCOs) to ensure that specialist doctors to provide clear, complete and legible clinical opinions and prescriptions to ECHS beneficiaries.
According to the advisory dated 19 August 2026, issued by ECHS, the medical officers of ECHS polyclinics have been advised to clearly mention the diagnosis, medicines, dosages, frequency, duration of treatment, investigations and follow-up/referral advice, wherever applicable.
Moreover, the ECHS has emphasised providing printed or electronic prescriptions wherever possible to ensure continuity of care, patient safety and convenience for beneficiaries.
The advisory issued by the ECHS, is reproduced below for reference.
Tele: 25683476
Central Organisation ECHS
Integrated HQ of MoD (Army)
Adjutant General’s Branch
Thimayya Marg
Near Gopinath Circle
Delhi Cantt-110010
B/49762/AG/ECHS/2026 dated 19 Aug 2026
___________________
(All Regional Centre ECHS)
ADVISORY: PROVISION OF UNAMBIGUOUS AND LEGIBLE CLINICAL OPINION/PRESCRIPTION BY SPECIALIST DOCTORS OF EMPANELLED HCOS
1. Please refer to the following:-
1.1. Central Organisation ECHS SOP on Medicine Management.
1.2. Central Organisation ECHS SOP on Treatment Management.
2. It has been observed that, in certain instances, the clinical opinion/advice/prescription issued by specialist doctors of empanelled Health Care Organisations (HCOs) is either not clearly legible or does not contain adequate clinical and prescription-related details. Such incomplete or illegible prescriptions may cause difficulty to the Medical Officers (MOs) of ECHS Polyclinics in understanding and appropriately implementing the specialist’s advice, resulting in avoidable delay or inconvenience to ECHS beneficiaries.
3. It is reiterated that the opinion and recommendation of the specialist doctor constitute an important clinical input for the MO of the ECHS Polyclinic for appropriate clinical management of ECHS beneficiaries.
4. In order to ensure continuity of care, patient safety and uniformity in clinical practice, the specialist doctor of the empanelled HCO should provide a clear, complete and legible Clinical opinion/recommendation/prescription. The prescription/clinical advice should, as applicable, clearly indicate:-
4.1. Diagnosis/clinical assessment.
4.2. Relevant clinical findings and investigations, wherever required.
4.3. Name of the medicine, preferably by generic salt, along with strength and dosage form.
4.4. Dose, frequency and route of administration.
4.5. Duration of treatment and other specific instructions, wherever applicable.
4.6. Any specific investigation, follow-up or referral advice required.
5. The prescription/clinical opinion when handwritten should be legible. Wherever possible, a printed/electronic prescription or clinical summary should be provided to the beneficiary. The prescription should be sufficiently clear to enable the MO of the ECHS Polyclinic to correctly understand the specialist’s advice and take an appropriate clinical decision.
6. This is for your information and necessary action, please.
(Vikas Yadav)
Lt Col
Jt Dir (Med & Eqpt)
for MD ECHS
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