Crosspathy’ and Maharashtra FDA Directive

1. Maharashtra FDA Directive

• The Maharashtra Food and Drugs Administration issued a directive allowing homeopathic practitioners with a certificate course in modern pharmacology to prescribe allopathic medications.

2. 2017 Notification on Crosspathy

• Maharashtra Medical Education and Drug Department issued a notification in 2017 permitting homeopathic practitioners (with Licentiate of the Court of Examiners of Homeopathy, 1951-1982) to practise modern medicine.
• The notification was challenged by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) in the Bombay High Court, which issued a stay.

3. Challenge by the IMA

• The IMA questioned the legality of allowing homeopathic practitioners to prescribe allopathic medicines.
• The stay remains until the High Court delivers its final judgment.

4. Supreme Court’s Stance on Crosspathy

• Poonam Verma vs. Ashwin Patel (1996): The SC held that prescribing medications outside one’s qualified system amounts to medical negligence.
• Cross-system practice is only permitted in states where governments have specifically authorized it through orders.

5. AYUSH and Integrative Medicine

• The Central government has been promoting AYUSH medicine with an emphasis on integrative healthcare to address the doctor shortage, especially in rural areas.
• AYUSH practitioners are seen as potential contributors to fill gaps in healthcare delivery.

6. Doctor Shortage in India

• Registered allopathic doctors: 13,08,009 (as of June 2022).
• Registered AYUSH practitioners: 5.65 lakh.
• Community Health Centres in rural areas face a nearly 80% shortage of specialist doctors (Health Dynamics of India 2022-23 report).

7. Concerns About Crosspathy

• Experts warn that allowing alternative medicine practitioners to perform roles meant for medical doctors without proper integration could lead to systemic issues and compromise patient safety.

What is Crosspathy ?

It refers to the practice where medical practitioners trained in one system of medicine (e.g., Ayurveda, Homeopathy, or Unani) prescribe medicines or perform treatments from another system (primarily Allopathy, or modern medicine)