[Answered] Evaluate the NMC’s new rules regarding doctors’ use of social media. How might these rules protect patients’ rights, and what challenges might arise in enforcing them?

The National Medical Commission (NMC) is a regulatory agency established in India with the goals of regulating the medical profession there as well as supervising and reforming the nation’s medical education system. To resolve issues relating to medical education, training, and practice, was established to take the position of the Medical Council of India (MCI).

What are the new rules by NMC regarding doctors’ use of social media?

• Respect patient rights: NMC guidelines refrain doctors from using social media to disclose their patients’ conditions, treatment & outcomes. This rule protects the patient’s right to privacy. Further, social media can be used only to educate patients and not for soliciting.
• Right to refuse: Doctors may refuse treatment to abusive, unruly, or violent patients and relatives. The step is aimed at checking instances of violence against doctors.
• End to unethical medical practices: The regulations bar doctors from endorsing any drug brands, medicine, and equipment. This would restrict doctors and their families from receiving gifts, travel facilities, hospitality, cash, or access to recreation from pharma companies or their representatives under any pretext.
• End to “commission” culture: The guidelines also forbid doctors from accepting commissions from diagnostic centres, medical or surgical equipment, etc. for referral and from endorsing particular products. This would end corrupt practices and bribery culture in the medical field.
• Generic medicine: To reduce out-of-pocket expenditure NMC has mandated that doctors prescribe generic drugs failing which their license may be suspended for some time.
• Misuse of Technology: The guideline also forbids doctors from “purchasing” likes, followers, or any fees to boost their profile on search algorithms and says that doctors should not participate in telemedicine platforms that provide ratings, reviews, and promotions of certain doctors by any means. This ensures that the integrity of the medical profession is not compromised.

Challenges in enforcing these guidelines:

• The medical fraternity has urged the government to clarify if the guidelines drafted are binding or merely recommendatory. This will help clear ambiguity regarding the new guidelines.
• Medical practitioners have also raised concerns regarding the mandatory use of generic medicines. They have highlighted the inadequate stock of generic medicines owing to their lower profit margin & also the difference in the quality of generic medicines for the same disease.
• An inadequate supply of generics would make patients depend on the word of pharmacists who will prescribe medicine that is procured by them irrespective of the health implications on the patient.

Conclusion:

The new NMC guidelines will usher an era of ethical & responsible medical industry catering to citizens welfare. Much more will depend on how effectively these guidelines are implemented and its penal provisions.