Why in news
The Maharashtra Food & Drugs Administration (FDA) recently issued a directive allowing homeopathic practitioners who have completed a government-recognized certificate course in modern pharmacology to prescribe allopathic medications.
The directive was issued to address confusion among chemists and pharmacists, who were not accepting allopathic prescriptions from homeopathic practitioners.
What is Crosspathy?
Crosspathy refers to the practice of healthcare professionals prescribing or practicing medicine outside their recognized scope of expertise.
Specifically, it involves practitioners of alternative medicine systems (like Ayurveda, Yoga, and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (Ayush)) prescribing or performing treatments typically reserved for allopathic (modern) medicine.
This practice is often criticized because it can lead to misdiagnosis, inappropriate treatments, and risks to patient safety, as these practitioners are not fully trained in the methods and practices of modern medicine.
Regulations and Legal Precedents:
The Medical Council of India (MCI) established the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette, and Ethics) Regulations, 2002, under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956
It restricts unqualified individuals from conducting medical procedures such as abortions or issuing medical competence certificates.
It also mandates that qualified doctors cannot assign non-qualified personnel for medical tasks.
Supreme Court Judgments: In a landmark 1996 case, Poonam Verma Vs. Ashwin Patel, the Supreme Court of India held a homeopath liable for negligence after prescribing allopathic medicines, which led to the patient’s death.
The Court ruled that cross-system practice constitutes medical negligence.
This has been upheld in subsequent rulings, stating that crosspathy is only permissible if explicitly authorized by the concerned State Government.
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