Issues to settle- cross system medical practice.

*Consultant Paediatrician, A-D7, Devi Marg, Bani Park, Jaipur 302016; **Founder President, Indian Med-legal and Ethics Association, Amravati Received: 22.06.2011; Revised: 19.01.2012; Re-revised: 24.09.2013; Accepted: 27.09.2013 S back c lar i f icat ion was sought from the Medico-legal Group of Indian Academy of Paediatrics that it has observed Bonnisan liquid and Liv-52 preparations are being prescribed by some doctors. Can practitioners of modern medicine i.e. Practitioners of Modern System prescribe ayurvedic medicines?1 Medico-legal Group had stated: “The Apex Court in the Poonam Varma vs. Ashwin Patel case has ruled that if you are practicing any other system it is Negligence per se. The other side of this issue is that in many developing countries where rural health is important and qualif ied practit ioners are not available the authorities are appointing community health workers (CHW). These CHW are provided with some of the common medicines which can be used for domiciliary management of common illnesses. Do they have the deep and complete knowledge of these illnesses or medicine? If an unqualified CHW can prescribe or dispense medicines why a graduate in medical curriculum (traditional or homoeopathic) cannot do so? This issue also needs a countrywide medical and legal debate.2 Gulat i has apt ly s tated that the Supreme Court ruling forbids the doctors of modern medicine from prescribing / administration of non-allopathic drugs (such as Ayurvedic, Unani, Siddha or Homoeopathy) by rendering them liable to prosecution under both civil and criminal laws leading to cancellation of registration and/or imprisonment. As such they are liable to be labeled as ‘quacks’ per se without further evidence or argument.3 Paradoxically, some High Courts eg. Tamilnadu HC (Tamil Nadu Siddha Medical Graduates Association, Vs. Smt. Letika Saran, Cont. P. No. 775 of 2010, Issues to settleCross System Medical Practice