01/09/2025
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Can’t Read Your Doctor’s Prescription? It’s a Violation of Your Fundamental Rights: High Court
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ruled that a legible medical prescription and diagnosis is an essential component of the right to health, which is protected as a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution.
Justice J.S. Puri, issuing detailed directions to the Centre, Punjab, Haryana, and the Chandigarh Administration, called it “surprising and shocking” that in an era of technology and easy computer access, many doctors still write prescriptions and medical histories by hand in ways that only some in the profession can decipher.
The court had initiated suo motu proceedings in 2024, taking the prima facie view that patients’ right to understand their own prescriptions also forms part of their fundamental rights. The trigger came during the hearing of an anticipatory bail plea in an alleged r**e case from Haryana, when the medico-legal report produced before the bench was found to be completely illegible.
Haryana told the court that since May 27, 2025, all doctors have been ordered to write prescriptions and diagnoses in bold or capital letters until until computerised prescriptions are fully implemented. Punjab issued similar orders on May 28, while Chandigarh’s March 2025 guidelines also require legible, capital-letter prescriptions. The Centre said it was considering national guidelines on minimum standards for medical facilities, including clarity in prescriptions.
Court’s Findings Justice Puri observed that illegible handwriting “creates a gap resulting in inefficiencies” and undermines the benefits of available digital health technology. Ambiguity in in prescriptions, the court warned, can harm patients and weaken safety measures intended to prevent medical errors.
Indian Law, Legal
