GMC advice for tele-consultation

The Gujarat Medical Council has allowed doctors registered with the regulatory authority to treat patients on phone if they are aware of their medical history. In its March 24 circular, the GMC had stated that keeping in mind the current situation of the spread of Covid-19, and to avoid impending community transmission of the same, it would allow Registered Medical Practitioners (RMPs) to provide telephonic consultation to patients and send online prescription, of course, with a few attached conditions.

The circular is in line with advisories issued by the Ministry of Health and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) regarding overcrowding at OPDs, maintaining social distance and advisory to the elderly not to venture out of their homes. The circular would be in effect till the time that Gujarat remains under lockdown.

The conditions laid down for telephonic consultation are that the patient’s medical history must be known to the RMP, the consultation would be only for minor ailments, there should be regular follow-ups, no injectables should be prescribed and that there would be no prescription in suspect cases of Covid-19.

GMC also laid down Standard Operating Procedures for RMPs who would use this system. These include that prescription should be on letterhead of the RMP with date and signature and that a digital copy should be sent as photo of PDF to the patient.

The doctors must mention that the prescription is based on telephonic consultation and also write down brief medical history on the prescription.

The doctors will not be able to give any advice in word document format on any social media, and all records must be preserved by the doctors as per standards rules and regulations. The doctors may review images sent to them by the patient. Date and period of medication must be prominently written on the prescription.