Practitioners of Modern Medicine to now use prefix Med Dr: NMC guidelines

New Delhi: In order to differentiate themselves from the scientists and researchers who have done PhD in their respective domains, as well as practitioners of other systems of medicine, the medical doctors practicing modern medicine can now use the prefix "Med Dr.", the National Medical Commission has recommended in its recently released Draft Registered Medical Practitioner (Professional Conduct) Regulations, 2022.

However, such a provision has been extended only to the Medical Practitioners who are registered under the NMC Act 2019, the new draft regulations have clarified. 

"Only those RMPs who are registered under NMC Act, 2019, can use Medical Doctor (Med Dr.) as a prefix before their names," NMC specified while addressing the duties and responsibilities of the Registered Medical Practitioners (RMPs).

Under the new guidelines, all RMPs registered with NMC or State Medical Council (SMC) should add 'Med Dr' as a prefix to their names to show that they only practice modern medicine or Allopathy.

Describing the prefix, the guidelines also spell out what suffix can the doctors use 

"The RMP shall display as suffix to his/her name only NMC recognized and accredited medical degrees/diplomas as provided in the nomenclature of the regulations and listed on the NMC website. (List of such Degrees and Diplomas will be on the website and updated regularly)"

There has been a special note for the FMG candidates as well who tend to use the suffix based on the degrees that they received abroad rather than the Indian equivalent counterpart

RMPs qualified abroad and seeking registration to practice after clearing FMGE/NEXT must use NMC-approved equivalent Medical prefixes and suffixes to provide clarity to patients and the public at large. (L1).

The guidelines also address the issue of many medical practitioners using suffixes of the specialization in which they practice rather than in which they have graduated

 A RMP shall not claim to be a clinical specialist unless he/she has NMC recognized training and qualification in that specific branch of modern medicine (The list of recognized post-graduation and super-specialization degrees/diplomas will be available on the NMC website) (L1, L2)

Every RMP shall practice the system of medicine in which he/she has trained and certified (for this purpose referred to as modern medicine* or allopathic medicine) and shall not associate professionally with any unqualified person to perform any treatment, procedure, or operation.(L2)

The guidelines also address the special cases, where person may have qualified in two different systems of medicine, adding that if practicing modern medicine, the doctor wont be allowed to practice any other system

A person qualified in more than one system of medicine should decide which system he wants to practice. Once licensed to practice Modern medicine under NMC Act, he shall not practice another system of medicine simultaneously. Short courses in other systems of medicine do not qualify a practitioner to practice and prescribe in that system of medicine.

 The guidelines also curtail doctors from hiring unregistered medical practitioners as assistants, putting the entire responsibility of the same on the RMPs

A RMP shall not employ in connection with his/her professional practice any healthcare professional who is neither registered nor trained under the relevant Medical Acts in force related to the practice of modern medicine. Provided that having employed any other assistants in the practice, the ultimate responsibility rests on the self-employed RMP or the RMP responsible for administration and recruitment in case of hospital practice.

Apart from this, the guidelines also talk about the unique registration ID that would be assigned to her/him by EMRB, which will have to be part of not just prescriptions but also the certificates and the money receipts handed over to patients

"Every self-employed RMP shall display the unique registration ID assigned to her/him by EMRB in his/her prescription, certificate, and money receipts given to patients. Employed RMP shall get a seal made by the employer for displaying the unique registration number below the RMP's signatures," the guidelines state

Medical Dialogues had recently reported that in an attempt to address the various issues of professional conduct of registered medical practitioners, the Ethics & Medical Registration Board (EMRB) of NMC has introduced the Draft RMP (Professional Conduct) Regulations, 2022. These new regulations have addressed the issue of Professional Conduct of Registered Medical Practitioners (RMPs) including their duties and responsibilities, continuing professional development program, remuneration, prescribing generic medicine, prohibition of commission, restriction on advertisement, responsibilities regarding sale of drugs, medical reports, etc.