Why homeopaths avoid giving prescriptions to patients

In Bhopal Most of the homeopaths  do not believe in handing over medical prescriptions to the patients.When asked about the reasons for not giving a written prescription to the patients, some homeopaths said they kept the relevant records with themselves. As such, there was no need for a prescription.

“The doctor keeps the written prescription with himself, because if the patient looses it, it will be difficult for me to find out what I had diagnosed and which medicines I had prescribed. Very often the patients forget to bring the prescription,” explains Dr Mohammad Zakaria, who is a member of Central Council of Homeopathy.However, the fact is different, claims Dr Neeraj Bangard, a senior homeopathy practitioner in the city, who said “the Drugs and Cosmetics Act clearly says that the medical practitioner has to provide a written prescription for the drugs that he gives or recommends to the patient.”“To say that prescription is not provided to the patient since it is safer with the doctor, is a blatant lie. The fact is that such doctors fear that the patient will use the prescription to get medicines at cheaper rates and they would not be able to charge exorbitant sums from the hapless patient,” he alleges.Dr Bangard further says that it is a weakness on the part of the enforcement machinery that such practices continue unhindered. He also pointed towards “an unholy nexus between the doctor, drug companies and drug dealers,” which should be checked.State president of Homeopathy Doctors Association, Dr Rajesh Chouksey, who claims that he hands over the prescription to the patients, said that merely not giving a written prescription to the patient in itself does not constitutes an unethical practice.“The Homeopathy Central Council Act states that a written record of the patient has to be maintained with the practitioner containing all the relevant details. It is up to the doctors to provide to the patient written prescriptions. If the practitioner maintains a record in a proper way that is legally okay,” he said.He further said that not giving the patient a written prescription is in a way beneficial as it prevents any misuse of the prescription by quacks.When asked about the enforcement machinery to ensure that the doctors are maintaining a record in a proper form, he replied, “The law is very strict on this point and action can be taken against any practitioner if it is found that proper records are not being maintained.”

Source:The Pioneer