In a significant development, the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has directed chemists across the state to accept allopathic prescriptions issued by homoeopathic doctors who have completed a certificate course in modern pharmacology.
The directive, issued on Thursday, July 3, applies to both retail and wholesale drug dealers, effectively allowing qualified homoeopaths to prescribe and purchase modern medicines, reported The Times of India.
The FDA clarified that this move aligns with a 2016 amendment to the Maharashtra Medical Council Act, wherein the state government revised the definition of “registered medical practitioner” to include homoeopaths who have undergone the required pharmacology training.
"All retail and wholesale drug dealers can sell allopathic medicines to homeopathic registered doctors who have completed the course. Retail chemists can also dispense drugs based on prescriptions written by these doctors," the FDA order stated.
The announcement was welcomed by sections of the homoeopathy community. Dr Bahubali Shah, administrator of the Maharashtra Council of Homeopathy, expressed satisfaction with the directive, noting that it enables trained homoeopaths to legally practise modern medicine alongside their traditional system.
However, the move has drawn sharp criticism from the Indian Medical Association (IMA). Calling it a case of “mixopathy,” the association has expressed its intent to challenge the directive in court.
Dr Santosh Kadam, President of IMA Maharashtra, told TOI, “We had already moved the courts when the permission to practise modern medicine was granted to them earlier. That case is still sub-judice. Now, we will also challenge this FDA directive legally.”
On Friday, FDA Commissioner Rajesh Narvekar said the directive was issued to resolve ongoing confusion among chemists over whether to honour prescriptions written by trained homoeopaths.
“Our clarification is based on the 2016 government order, which explicitly included such homoeopaths under the definition of registered medical practitioners,” he stated.
While the state has taken a policy stand to broaden medical access in underserved areas, the directive is expected to reignite the long-standing debate between practitioners of modern and alternative medicine systems in India.
