Ask a homeopath what the Code of Ethics says about records and most will say “keep them confidential”. That is true, but the 2022 NCH Code goes further. It sets concrete duties on prescriptions, certificates, referrals and follow-ups, and lists failure to keep records as professional misconduct.
Below are eight duties from the National Commission for Homoeopathy (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Code of Ethics for Practitioners of Homoeopathy) Regulations, 2022, with the clause for each.
1. Give the prescription within 72 hours when asked – Reg 7(1)
A practitioner must provide the prescription to a patient within seventy-two hours when requested or required. Clinics that dispense unlabelled pills without a written prescription should check how they would meet this.
2. Keep a copy of every medical certificate for three years – Reg 7(1)
When you issue a medical or fitness certificate, keep a copy for at least three years. The format is set out in Appendix III of the Regulations.
3. Show your registration number – Reg 7(2) and 36(b)
Your registration number must appear in your clinic and on every prescription and certificate. Failing to display it in the clinic is listed as misconduct.
4. Maintain records of prescriptions and certificates – Reg 36(c)
Failing to maintain records of prescriptions and certificates you issue is, by itself, professional misconduct. There is no exception for small or solo practices.
5. Keep patient records to CCRH’s Good Clinical Practice standard – Reg 38(d)
Regulation 38(d) requires patient records to be kept as per the Good Clinical Practice guidelines for homoeopathic practitioners published by the Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH). If you have never read that document, request it from CCRH; it is the benchmark the Code points to.
Regulation 38 also says to prescribe only after proper clinical assessment and diagnosis, and only in the dose and duration the condition needs. A record that shows the assessment is how you show you did that.
6. Record why you changed the treatment – Reg 31(1)
The attending practitioner may vary treatment, but must state the reasons for the variation at the next consultation. For homeopaths who change a remedy or potency between visits, the follow-up note is where that reasoning belongs.
7. Send a written case statement when you refer – Reg 27
When you refer a patient to another homeopath, a statement of the case must go with them. The receiving practitioner replies in writing, in a closed cover. A legible, structured case summary is part of a proper referral.
8. Report adverse events – Reg 37
If you observe an adverse event attributed to a homoeopathic medicinal product, you must report it to the appropriate authorities. India runs a pharmacovigilance programme for Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy drugs under the Ministry of Ayush. You can only report what you recorded.
Bonus: investigations belong in the file – Reg 12(4)
Regulation 12(4) expects practitioners to use modern investigations, such as radiological and pathological tests, where required for diagnosis and follow-up. Reports you ordered or reviewed should sit with the case.
Why this matters beyond the Council
In Indian Medical Association v. V.P. Shantha (1995), the Supreme Court held that medical services provided for a fee fall within the Consumer Protection Act. In November 2024 the Court declined to revisit that ruling, and a later curative petition was dismissed. Doctors remain answerable before consumer commissions.
In any complaint, the case record is usually the practitioner’s main evidence of what was assessed, advised and prescribed. Regulation 12(3) also says your conduct is to be judged by the standards expected of a homeopath of your training and experience, and your notes are how that standard is demonstrated.
A quick self-audit
- Registration number on the clinic board, prescription pad and certificates
- Written prescription available within 72 hours on request
- Certificate copies filed and kept three years or more
- Every follow-up note says what changed and why
- Referral letters include a case statement
- Investigation reports filed with the case
- A way to log and report adverse events
- A copy of CCRH’s Good Clinical Practice guidelines in the clinic
Paper can meet all of this. Software makes some of it automatic: a registration number printed on every prescription, follow-ups that open beside the original case, and certificates that are filed the moment they’re issued.
Sources:
NCH Code of Ethics Regulations 2022 (full text)
NCH official PDF · IMA v V.P. Shantha (Indian Kanoon)
Curative petition dismissed (Medical Dialogues)
Ayush pharmacovigilance (Lok Sabha answer, Feb 2024)