The basic signal: the doctor’s BM&DC number
The oldest and simplest check still works. By a BM&DC directive, a doctor must print their registration number on their prescription pad, and may only display BM&DC-recognised qualifications. So a genuine prescription names the doctor, lists credible degrees, and carries a registration number you can look up. A pad with no registration number, or with grand titles that don’t match the register, is a reason to pause.
To confirm the doctor behind the number, follow how to verify a doctor’s BM&DC registration — it takes about a minute on the official register.
The modern signal: a QR code or authenticity link
Paper can be photocopied and edited; a verification link cannot be faked as easily, because it doesn’t trust the paper — it checks the doctor’s own record. In general, a prescription QR or link works like this:
- The code is a unique link, not the data itself. Scanning it opens a secure (HTTPS) page that looks the prescription up in the issuer’s system.
- Authenticity comes from the match: the page shows the original as the doctor issued it, so altered medicines or doses on a photocopy won’t line up.
- A unique per-prescription link is hard to fabricate, which is why the same idea is used to fight counterfeit medicine packaging.
Verification links on prescriptions are an emerging good practice in Bangladesh rather than a legal requirement, so not every valid prescription will have one — but when it is there, it is the fastest, strongest check.
Step by step
- Check the doctor's details on the pad. A genuine prescription shows the doctor's name and BM&DC registration number — the BM&DC requires the registration number on prescription pads. Only BM&DC-recognised qualifications should appear.
- Look for a QR code or verification link. Many digital prescriptions carry a QR code or a short verification link. This is the fastest authenticity check when it is present.
- Scan or open it. Scanning the QR or opening the link loads a secure page that shows whether the prescription is authentic and who issued it, drawn from the issuer's own records rather than the paper in your hand.
- Cross-check the doctor on the official register. Confirm the BM&DC registration number printed on the prescription resolves to that doctor on the official register at verify.bmdc.org.bd.
- Compare the details. The online record should match your copy. Medicines, doses or a doctor name that don't match — or a link that fails to open — are red flags worth questioning.
How Prescriply’s authenticity link works
When a doctor uses Prescriply, every prescription carries a QR code and a public link. Opening it shows:
- An “Authentic prescription” banner naming the issuing doctor and chamber, and when it was finalised.
- The doctor’s BM&DC registration number, shown on every prescription — the same number you can cross-check on the official register.
- A green “Reg. verified by Prescriply” badge, shown only when a Prescriply admin has manually reviewed and approved the BM&DC registration number the doctor submitted — not an automated or online check against the BM&DC’s own register.
- The prescription exactly as it was issued — so you can confirm the paper copy in your hand hasn’t been altered.
For privacy, the public link deliberately withholds the patient’s national health ID, mobile number and address; those stay on the doctor’s own copy and the OTP-protected patient portal. It verifies the prescription without over-sharing personal data. For the background, see BM&DC verification and verified digital prescriptions.
This article is general guidance, not legal or medical advice. If you suspect a prescription or a practitioner is fraudulent, raise it with the chamber, the pharmacy, or the BM&DC.
Sources & further reading
- Bangladesh Medical & Dental Council (BM&DC) — the council whose directive requires the registration number to appear on prescription pads and signboards, and which recognises the doctor’s qualifications.
- BM&DC Registration Verification Web Service (verify.bmdc.org.bd) — the official register for cross-checking a printed registration number against the council’s record.
- WHO Patient Safety (2023) — on why tamper-evident, verifiable prescriptions reduce medication-related harm.
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell if a prescription is genuine in Bangladesh?
Start with the prescription pad itself: a genuine one shows the doctor's name and their BM&DC registration number, which the council requires on pads. Cross-check that number on the official register at verify.bmdc.org.bd. If the prescription carries a QR code or verification link, scan it — it confirms who issued the prescription and that it has not been altered.
What is the QR code or link on a prescription for?
It is a secure link to the prescription's authoritative record. Scanning it opens a page that confirms the prescription is authentic and shows who issued it. Because the page is served from the doctor's software rather than the printed paper, an altered or forged copy will not match the original.
Does scanning a Prescriply prescription link show my private information?
It shows the prescription itself — the doctor, chamber, diagnosis and medicines — because that is what a patient or pharmacy needs to read. For privacy, the public Prescriply link deliberately withholds your national health ID, mobile number and home address; those stay on the doctor's own copy and the OTP-protected patient portal.
The prescription has no QR or link — does that make it fake?
No. Many perfectly valid prescriptions are paper-only and carry no QR code. When there is no link, fall back to the basics: confirm the doctor's name and BM&DC registration number are printed, and cross-check that number on the official register.
Can a prescription be forged or altered?
A paper prescription can be photocopied or edited, which is exactly why a verification link matters. A link resolves to the doctor's stored original, so tampered medicines or doses won't match, and a unique per-prescription link is hard to fabricate. It shifts trust from the paper to the issuer's record.
How does Prescriply verify that a prescription is genuine?
Every prescription written on Prescriply carries a QR code and a public link. Opening it shows an 'Authentic prescription' banner naming the issuing doctor and chamber and when it was finalised, plus the doctor's BM&DC registration number. If the doctor has completed BM&DC verification, it also shows a green 'Reg. verified by Prescriply' badge. The page shows the prescription exactly as it was issued, so you can confirm nothing was changed.