Mumbai, Jul 7 (PTI) The Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Monday criticised the notification by Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) that will allow homeopaths to prescribe modern medicines after completing a six-month course in pharmacology.
This came on the back of Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) notification of June 30, which mentioned that the state Medical Education and Drugs department has given permission to start a Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology (CCMP) for homeopathy practitioners to practice in modern medicine.
“This is absolutely wrong and we are against it as it will ‘hoodwink’ patients and dilute modern medical practices. Currently, the matter is subjudice, with a petition filed by IMA before Bombay High Court, which has issued a stay on this,” Indian Medical Association (IMA) national vice president Shivkumar Utture told PTI.
In 2014, the state government amended Maharashtra Homoeopathic Practitioners Act and Maharashtra Medical Council Act 1965 and allowed homeopaths to prescribe modern medicines under certain conditions, he said.
The IMA challenged the amendments in the Bombay High Court, he added.
However, after this notification, he said, “we have to approach the court and ask it to expedite the matter”.
“The notification undermines the statutory and ethical framework of MMC and will lead to confusion among patients,” he added.
MMC decided to implement the 2014 amendment in a meeting in February this year.
As per the notification, Maharashtra Medical Association (MMA) directed all CCMP qualified doctors to register, for which a portal will be launched on MMA website with specific instruction from July 15. PTI SM BNM
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The IMA’s outrage is built on misrepresentations. CCMP is a one‑year, MUHS‑approved pharmacology training program, not six months. It’s only open to registered BHMS doctors, who have already completed a rigorous 5.5‑year medical curriculum. This course doesn’t create new doctors—it enhances the capabilities of qualified practitioners, enabling legal, safe prescription of basic modern medicines in emergency and rural care, where MBBS doctors are scarce. Let’s support evidence‑based, regulated public health initiatives—not fear campaigns.
The Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology (CCMP) is being misrepresented by some as a shortcut to become a doctor. This is completely false. CCMP is a one-year structured training program conducted by government medical colleges and recognized by the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS). It is exclusively for BHMS doctors — who have already completed a 5.5-year full-time medical degree, including clinical subjects like anatomy, medicine, and pharmacology.
CCMP is not for the general public, nor does it turn anyone into a doctor in one year. It is designed to update and legally empower qualified homeopathic doctors in the safe and rational use of basic modern medicines, especially in primary healthcare, emergencies, and rural areas where access to MBBS doctors is limited.
Criticism from sections of the IMA suggesting that CCMP undermines modern medicine is baseless. In reality, it ensures patient safety through structured learning under MD Pharmacology faculty, rather than leaving rural practitioners to rely on unregulated knowledge.
Rather than opposing such reforms, we should support collaborative healthcare delivery where every trained professional contributes responsibly. CCMP strengthens public health, especially in underserved areas, and deserves factual understanding—not fearmongering.