National Medical Commission’s New Guidelines

Source: Indian Express
GS II: Health

Overview

1. News in Brief
2. Detailed Guidelines
3. About National Medical Commission

Why in News?

The comprehensive guidelines touch on topics such as doctors’ use of social media, whether they can refuse treatment in certain cases, the medicines that are to be prescribed and their continuous professional development.

News in Brief

• 60-page guidelines have provisions ranging from what medical degrees a doctor can mention on their prescription pads to the kind of advertisements they can put out, the records they must keep, and the way they treat patients through teleconsultation.
• The guidelines warn against receiving commissions from pharmacies or diagnostic laboratories or attending conferences sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry.
• Some of the guidelines for the professional conduct of registered doctors of modern medicine

Detailed Guidelines

•  Social Media
  • Doctors may post announcements or information online, but the content should be accurate and not deceive the public.
  • The educational content that doctors provide on social media must be relevant to their area of practice.
  • Do not purchase likes,followers or boost their post and profile.
  • Doctors should not participate in telemedicine platforms that provide ratings, reviews, and promotion.
  • Doctors have also been asked to refrain from sharing testimonials by patients or images and videos of cured patients.
  • Follow decorum when interacting online or speaking about their colleagues.
  • Doctors have been instructed to refrain from discussing the specifics of their patients’ care or publishing the results of their scans online.
• Birth control measures
  • No doctor can deny birth control measures or abortions due based on religious beliefs.
• Consultation and Refuse Treatment
  • The guidelines give doctors the right to refuse treatment when patients or their family members are abusive, unruly, or violent.
  • Forbid doctors from refusing treatment, however, in cases of medical emergencies.
  • Consultation fees should be made known to the patient before examination or treatment.
  • An estimation of the cost of surgery or treatment should be provided.
• Prescription of Medicine
  • Write prescriptions in legible, capital letters.
  • Prescribe only generic medicines, except for cases where medicines have a narrow therapeutic index.
  • Educate people on generic medicine being equivalent to branded medicines.
  • Encourage people to purchase drugs from Jan Aushadhi Kendras and other generic drug outlets.
• Continuous Professional Development (CPD)
  • For the first time, the regulator has made it mandatory for doctors to continue to learn throughout their active years.
  • New technologies coming in, along with a more aware patient base means that doctors must keep re-training.
  • Doctors should have studied 30 credit points in their relevant fields at the time of renewal of their license every five years.
  • The doctors have been asked to undertake these sessions every year, ideally for six credits a year but at least three credits.
• Participating in conferences
  • None of these educational sessions or conferences can be sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry.
• Receiving Gift and commission
  • Doctors or their families should not receive any gifts, travel facilities, hospitality, cash or monetary grants, consultancy fee or honorariums, or access to entertainment or recreation from pharmaceutical companies, their representatives, commercial healthcare establishments, medical device companies, or corporate hospitals under any pretext.
  • This restriction does not apply to the salaries of doctors working for such companies.
  • Forbid doctors from accepting commissions from diagnostic centres, medical or surgical equipment etc for referral and from endorsing particular products.
• Punishment for violation
  • A doctor may be given a warning to be more careful about the regulations.
  • Instructed to attend a workshop or academic programme on ethics, personal and social relations and/or professional training.
  • With repeated violations, the doctor’s license to practice may be suspended for a particular period.

Important Guidelines Infographics

About National Medical Commission

National Medical Commission (NMC) is a regulatory body established by the Government of India to oversee medical education and practice in the country. The NMC was introduced as a replacement for the Medical Council of India (MCI) to bring about comprehensive reforms in the medical education and healthcare sector.

Key functions and responsibilities of the National Medical Commission

• Regulation of Medical Education: The NMC is responsible for setting and maintaining standards for medical education and training institutions in India. It formulates guidelines for curriculum, infrastructure, faculty, and assessments.
• Approval of Medical Colleges: It grants recognition and permissions to medical colleges and institutions based on compliance with the prescribed standards and guidelines.
• Undergraduate and Postgraduate Education: The NMC oversees undergraduate and postgraduate medical education, ensuring that medical graduates are adequately trained and competent to practice medicine.
• Assessment and Accreditation: The commission assesses the quality and standards of medical education through regular inspections and accreditation processes.
• National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET): The NMC conducts the NEET examination, a standardized entrance test for admission to undergraduate medical courses across India.
• Medical Ethics and Professional Conduct: It establishes and enforces ethical standards and codes of conduct for medical professionals to ensure patient safety and quality care.
• Continuing Medical Education: The NMC encourages and monitors the continuing education of medical practitioners to ensure they remain updated with the latest medical advancements.
• Research and Innovation: The commission may promote research and innovation in the medical field to enhance medical practice and healthcare delivery.
• Reforms and Policy Development: The NMC is involved in policy development and reforms related to medical education and practice, with the aim of improving the healthcare system in India.

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