Modi govt to bar homeopathy doctors from selling drugs

The Central government will soon bar Homeopathy doctors from selling medicines from the premises they practise. The new rules are already framed and the government will come up with an official notification soon.

"No registered homeopathic medical practitioner who is practicing homeopathy in the premises where homeopathy medicines are sold, shall deal in homeopathic medicines," according to the new draft rules as reported by Mint.

Following complaints that commercial interests were influencing the behaviour against homeopathic practitioners forced the government to draft new rules, two officials aware of the development told Mint.

"It was seen that various pharmacists had started to station a homeopath in their shop for consultations. Likewise, homeopathy practitioners other than dispensing their medicines to their patients had started selling them over the counter too. For better regulation of homeopathic medicines, this practice needed to end," the officials said.

The officials have explained that once the government comes out with the notification, homeopathic doctors will be asked not to sell medicine during consultations.

"The objective of this rule is to ensure that doctors only prescribe and not sell medicines," the officials added.

With the new rule, chemists selling allopathic medicines will also be allowed to sell homeopathic medicines without the need to have a separate licence. "These medicines shall be sold in the original sealed small quantity packing and they will have to be stored separately from allopathic drugs," the business daily quoted the health ministry officials as saying.

R.K. Manchanda, co-chair of a sub-committee of the Drug Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) and Director General of Central Council of Homeopathy (CCH), told Mint the new rules will help promote quality homeopathic medicines.

According to the new rules, the manufacturers will also have to adhere to requirements of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for obtaining a licence for manufacturing. The licence is valid for a period of five years.