NDC Prescription Rules 2026: 9 Details Dentists Must Print

Based on the official NDC public notice of 23 October 2026. Not legal advice.

On 23 October 2026, the National Dental Commission (NDC) issued a public notice through its Ethics and Dental Registration Board. It directs every practising dentist in India to make sure each prescription carries nine details, whether it is written on paper or issued electronically.

If you print prescriptions on a pad, a letterhead or from clinic software, this applies to you. Here is what the notice asks for, and a 10-minute check you can do today.

In short: every dental prescription, paper or digital, must show your name, registration number, qualifications, full address with PIN, a contact number, the patient's name, age and gender, the date, and your signature. Add a stamp if your details are not pre-printed. Stop using pharma-sponsored pads.

What the notice says, in short

Who: all practising dentists. The notice also asks State Dental Councils, dental colleges, hospitals and clinics to circulate it.
What: nine particulars on every prescription, including a stamp when your details are not pre-printed.
Paper and digital: both. Your pads, letterheads and electronic prescription templates must be reviewed and updated.
Pharma pads: dentists are advised not to use prescription pads supplied, printed or sponsored by pharmaceutical companies.
Deadline or penalty: none is stated in the notice. It is issued "in the interest of professional accountability, transparency, and patient safety."

Notice number: F.No.NDC/EDRB/Public-Notice/2026/M-2749. Read the official notice (PDF).

The 9 details every dental prescription must carry

#	Detail	What the notice says
1	Your name	As recorded with your State Dental Council
2	Active registration number	As allotted by your State Dental Council
3	Recognised qualification(s)	As recognised by the NDC or the erstwhile Dental Council of India, including specialty if applicable
4	Address of practice	Complete postal address of your clinic, including PIN code
5	Emergency contact number	A working number for urgent communication
6	Patient details	Name, age and gender
7	Date	The date of the prescription, at each visit
8	Your signature	Handwritten, or a legally valid digital signature, as applicable
9	Stamp, when needed	If your name, qualifications and registration number are not pre-printed, the prescription must carry your stamp with all three, clear and legible

The details clinics most often miss

PIN code. Many pads print the locality but not the PIN. The notice asks for the complete address.
Qualifications. "Dentist" or a specialty alone is not the same as your recognised qualification, for example your degree.
The date on repeat visits. Each visit's prescription needs its own date, not the date of the first visit.
The stamp rule. If even one of name, qualification or registration number is handwritten rather than printed, you need the stamp.
Prescriptions sent on WhatsApp. A PDF still needs all nine details, and your signature must be handwritten or a legally valid digital signature. A typed name under a line is neither. If you are unsure what counts as a valid digital signature, ask your State Dental Council.

What about pads from pharma companies?

The notice advises dentists not to use prescription pads supplied, printed or sponsored by pharmaceutical companies, and to issue prescriptions only on pads or letterheads that meet the nine requirements.

So check the drawer in your consultation room. If there are sponsored pads, replace them with your own.

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Your 10-minute prescription check

Take one real prescription from each format you use (pad, letterhead, software PDF) and tick through:

☐ Name exactly as on your State Dental Council record
☐ Active registration number
☐ Recognised qualification(s), with specialty if applicable
☐ Full clinic address with PIN code
☐ A working emergency contact number
☐ Patient name, age and gender
☐ Date of this visit
☐ Your handwritten or valid digital signature
☐ Stamp, if name, qualification or registration number is not pre-printed
☐ No pharma-sponsored pads in use

If you use clinic software, generate a sample prescription and check the printed or PDF output, not the screen where you type. What the patient receives is what has to comply.

If you use Vaidya OS: open Clinic Settings and fill in your registration number, qualifications and full address with PIN. The prescription PDF then prints your name, qualifications, registration number, address, contact number, the patient's name, age and gender, and the visit date. It leaves a signature line for you to sign by hand on the printed copy. Because your details are printed, no stamp is needed.

Frequently asked questions

Is this advisory mandatory?

The notice is titled an advisory, but its text says all practising dentists "are hereby directed" to include the nine details and to update their pads and templates. Treat it as a requirement. On pharma-sponsored pads, the wording is "advised".

Does it apply to digital or WhatsApp prescriptions?

Yes. It covers every prescription "whether issued in paper or electronic form."

Do I need a stamp on every prescription?

Only if your name, recognised qualification(s) and registration number are not already printed on the prescription. If all three are printed, the stamp requirement does not apply.

Is there a deadline?

The notice does not give one. It asks dentists to review and update their pads, letterheads and electronic templates.

Does this apply to MBBS doctors?

No. This notice is from the National Dental Commission and applies to practising dentists. Doctors registered with the National Medical Commission follow the NMC's own rules. See our guide to NMC guidelines for doctors in 2026.

NDC Prescription Rules 2026: The 9 Details Every Dental Prescription Must Carry