10 significant points of NMC draft regulations for Registered Medical Practitioners

National Medical Commission (NMC) recently provided draft regulations about the Registered Medical Practitioners, read here the 10 important points of the draft.

National Medical Commission (NMC) has invited public comments on its draft regulations comprising many guidelines for the Registered Medical Practitioners (RMPs), following are the 10 most important points highlighted in the guidelines.

10 important guidelines of NMC draft regulations

1. Registered doctors shall practice the system of medicine in which he/she has trained and certified and they must not associate professionally with any unqualified person to perform the treatment. The doctors shall not employ any healthcare professional in connection with his/her professional practice who is neither registered nor trained under the relevant Medical Acts in force related to allopathic medicine.
2. RMPs can refuse to continue to treat a patient if the fees are not paid. However, this does not apply to doctors in government service or emergencies.
3. Every RMP is expected to prescribe drugs using generic names written legibly and prescribe drugs rationally, avoiding unnecessary medications and irrational fixed-dose combination tablets.
4. An RMP shall not dispense or prescribe secret remedial agents of which he does not know the composition or action in the body. The manufacture or promotion or use of these remedies is prohibited.
5. Every self-employed RMP shall maintain medical records of patients (outpatients or inpatients) for 3 years from the date of the last contact with the patient for treatment, in a standard proforma laid down by the NMC.
6. The RMP should respect the boundaries of the doctor-patient relationship and not exploit the patient for personal, social, and business reasons and in particular, avoid sexual boundary violations.
7. RMP shall not refuse on religious grounds alone to assist in or conduct of sterility, birth control, circumcision, and medical termination of Pregnancy when there is a medical indication.
8. In case of emergency (life and limb saving procedure) an RMP shall provide first aid and other services to the patient according to his expertise and the available resources before referral.
9. An RMP shall endeavour to be prompt in attending to patients and should keep in time with appointments or visiting/consultation hours. If the RMP is delayed for a valid reason, the patient should be informed.
10. Consultation through Telemedicine by the Registered Medical Practitioner shall be permissible following the Telemedicine Practice Guidelines.

Read more:

• Registered Medical Practitioners under NMC Act, 2019 can use 'Med Dr' as prefix: NMC
• NMC puts draft regulations in public domain; Invites comments