MALAYSIAN SOCIETY FOR COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES 

                                         CODE OF PRACTICE

 1.      It is illegal for anyone not a registered medical practitioner to attempt to procure an abortion. A Member must not knowingly administer an abortifacient nor known uterine muscle stimulant remedies to a pregnant patient, nor instruments for the purpose of procuring an abortion, nor assist in any illegal operation.

 2.     It is required that any intimate examinations on a patient of the opposite sex be conducted in the presence of a relative of the patient or a suitable assistant.

 3.     A Member may treat and prescribe any remedy for gonorrhoea, syphilis, or urinary infections of a venereal nature, in consultation with a medical practitioner.

 4.     It is the duty of the practitioner to notify the relevant authorities regarding any disease on the current list of notifiable diseases.

 5.     A Member must consider very carefully the implications of recommending a course of treatment contrary to the advice of the patientís registered medical practitioner in the case of a serious disease or uncertain diagnosis.  Members must be aware of their vulnerability to law on this issue and must ensure in such a case that all available information is given to the patient and that the patient makes the final decision without coercion.

 6.     A parent or supervising adult must be present during any treatment or examination of a child under the age 18, or of a mentally retarded patient.

 7.     A Member must become familiar with all Statues and Regulations relating to Drugs and Medicines.  Detailed records of prescriptions and dispensing must be kept.

 8.     The practitioner should supply remedies from premises occupied by the practitioner and able to be closed as to exclude the public.

9.      The Member should avoid treatment through telephone or postal contact, although repeat prescription may be supplied on the basis for a limited period.

 10.   Dispensing and labelling of medicines should at least comply with statutory regulations.  All medicines should be labelled to clearly indicate the correct dosage or other directions for use (especially for those remedies subject to a statutory maximum dose), and with the name and address of the practitioner and the date of dispensing.

11.    A Member should never claim verbally or in print to be able to cure any life-threatening or serious disease.

12.    The distribution or display of letter heading, business cards or practice information should be compatible with the highest professional medical standards.

 13.   A Member must ensure the safe disposal of clinical waste.

NOTES

(Rule 2)

 an ëintimateí examination includes any examination that requires undergarments to be removed; disposable gloves must be worn in any such examination and any instruments used be disposed or adequately sterilized after use.

 (Rule 4)

 Current notifiable diseases are small pox, cholera, diphtheria, scarlet fever, typhus, typhoid, paratyphoid, plague, tuberculosis, acute poliomyelitis, acute encephalitis, acute meningitis, ophthalmia nexostorum, malaria, dysentery, measles (excl, rubella), whooping cough, infective jaundice, tetanus,

          RULES GOVERNING ACCESS TO MEDICAL RECORDS

1.      An application for access to a medical record may be made to the relevant Member, by any of the following:

a.  The Patient

b.  a person authorized in writing to make the application on the  patientís behalf

c.   where the patient is a child, a person having parental responsibility for the patient

d.   where the patient is incapable of managing his or her own affairs, any person appointed by a court to manage those affairs

e.  where the patient has died, the patientís personal representative

 2.     Subject to the exceptions listed below the patient or applicant will, within 28 days of the application being  received, be given access to the medical records concerned and be provided with a copy of these records if requested.  No fee shall be required  for giving such access other than for the cost of making the copy, and the postage, if applicable.

3.      Where any information in the medical records is expressed in terms which are not intelligible to the patient or applicant without explanation, an explanation shall be provided with the records.

4.        Access shall not be given to any part of a medical record which in the opinion of the Member concerned would disclose

a.  Information likely to cause serious harm to the physical or mental health of the patient or any other individual.

b.  information relating to or provided by an individual, other than the patient who could be identified from the information (unless the individual concerned has consented to the application or is a health professional who has been involved in the care of the patient).

c.  information provided by the patient in the expectation that it would not be disclosed to the applicant.

d.  information obtained as a result of any examination to which the patient consented in the expectation that the information would not be disclosed.

 5.     Where application has been made by a patient who is a child, access shall not be given unless the Member concerned is satisfied  that the patient is capable of understanding the nature of the application.

6.      Where application has been made by a person other than the patient, the Member must be satisfied that either the patient has consented to the making of the application or that  if the patient is incapable of understanding the nature of the application, giving of access would be in his or her best interest.

7.            Where a person considers that any information contained in a medical record to which he or she has been given access is inaccurate he or she  may apply  to the Member for the necessary correction to be  made.

On an application as above the Member shall: 

a.       if the Member is satisfied that the information is inaccurate, make the necessary correction, 

b.       if not so satisfied, make in the part of the record in which the information is contained a note of the matters in respect of which the information is considered to be inaccurate, and

c.      in either case, without requiring any fee, supply the applicant  with a copy of the correction or note.

 (Rule 8)

The law relating to the supply of complementary medicine remedies is quite  precise but has not as yet been applied or enforced in practice; the practitioner should be aware that there are already regulations requiring notification of the use of certain remedies and in there are likely to be demands for rigorous accounts to be kept of prescribing procedures.

(Rule 9)

In practice this means for example that premises should be unconnected with any health food shop unless there are separate entrance and waiting room facilities. It is likely that further restrictions on standards of hygiene and cleanliness will emerge as the enforcement authority develops its role and  the Member should ensure that his or her premises are well able to meet any such standards.  The safe and effective disposal of disposable surgical appliances and examination equipment is matter that must also be carefully considered ñ see (Rule 14).

(Rule 11)

The Society specifically proscribed claims for remedies or cures for locomotor ataxia, paralysis, tuberculosis, glaucoma, epilepsy, fits, Brightís  disease, cancer, cataract, and diabetes, but professional discretion should suggest even wider caution.

(Rule 12)

The crest of the Society may appear only on official stationery used by duly elected officers for Societyís business. Name plates should conform with professional standards and should not exceed 900 square centimetres in size. 

(Rule 13)

It is the duty of all persons involved in producing clinical waste to dispose of it safely and effectively. Items such as tongue depressors, swabs, surgical gloves etc, clearly fall into this category (although couch rolls are in grey area) and ideally should be  incinerated in special containers; it is important that they  are disposed of in a way that represents the least risk to the public.

Members are reminded  that this Code of Practice represents minimally accepted standards of legal and ethical conduct at the present time.  The primary reason for adhering to them is the well being of the patient and the public.  Failure to observe the Code however renders a Member liable to disciplinary procedures of the Society.  Moreover, in may cases he or she will be open to criminal  prosecution or claims for damages in the civil courts and it is also possible that professional indemnity insurance cover would be threatened.