The National Medical Commission Registered Medical Practitioner RMP (Professional Conduct) Regulations, 2023 will replace the Medical Council of India’s (MCI) Code of Medical Ethics 2002.
- These new regulations have been enforceable since August 2, 2023, the date of their publication in the official gazette.
Key points
- Doctors have been asked to write prescriptions in legible, capital letters. And, they have been asked to prescribe only generic medicines, except for cases where medicines have a narrow therapeutic index – drugs where a small difference in dosage may lead to adverse outcomes – and other exceptional cases.
- The new guidelines do not allow doctors to write a specific brand, which means that you will get whichever medicine with the relevant active ingredient your pharmacist stocks. Generic drugs are those which are unbranded. For instance, paracetamol is the generic name of the drug which is used in case of pain or fever while Crocin or Calpol are the branded versions of the drug.
- The guidelines also urge judicious use of fixed-dose combinations, with doctors being asked to prescribe only the approved, rational combinations.
- The guidelines give doctors the right to refuse treatment when patients or their family members are abusive, unruly, or violent.
- The doctors have also been given the right to refuse treatment if the patient cannot pay them.
- The guidelines forbid doctors from refusing treatment, however, in cases of medical emergencies.
- For the first time, the regulator has made it mandatory for doctors to continue to learn throughout their active years.
- Additionally, consultation fees should be made known to the patient before examination or treatment of the patient. A reasonable estimation of the cost of surgery or treatment should be provided to the patient to enable an informed decision.
- In case of violations, doctors can be issued a warning and would need to attend workshops and training. Their licenses can also be suspended if repeated violations of the directive are detected.
