Telemedicine guidelines
for Indian doctors.

The rules that make video consultations legal

Telemedicine in India is governed by the Telemedicine Practice Guidelines issued on 25 March 2020 by the Board of Governors in supersession of the Medical Council of India, as an appendix to the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002. They apply to every Registered Medical Practitioner (RMP) and they settled the question doctors had asked for years: a consultation by video, phone or text is a legitimate medical consultation, with the same duties as a visit in the clinic.

This page is a summary for clinic owners and doctors, not legal advice. Read the guidelines themselves before you start, and keep an eye on the National Medical Commission’s updates.

What a doctor can and cannot do remotely

Modes

Video, audio (a phone call) and text (chat, email, messaging apps) are all permitted. Video is the preferred mode and is required for some prescriptions. The doctor decides, case by case, whether the mode is adequate; if it is not, the patient must be asked to come in.

First consultation and follow-up

A first consultation may happen by any mode, but what can be prescribed depends on it. A follow-up (within six months of an in-person consultation for the same condition) allows more. The patient, a caregiver, or another RMP may initiate the consultation.

Consent

If the patient starts the consultation, consent is implied. If the doctor or a caregiver starts it, explicit consent must be taken and recorded — a simple “yes” in the chat or at the start of the call, noted in the record.

Identity

The doctor must confirm the patient’s identity (name, age, address, phone, and an ID where needed) and must display their own name and registration number to the patient. Treatlly’s booking page confirms the patient’s mobile number with an SMS code before any appointment.

Prescriptions

The guidelines sort medicines into lists. List O (common over-the-counter medicines) may be prescribed in any mode. List A medicines, which are relatively safe, may be prescribed in a first consultation held by video, or in a follow-up. List B medicines are add-ons for a condition already being treated in person. A prohibited list — including Schedule X drugs and narcotic or psychotropic substances under the NDPS Act — may never be prescribed by telemedicine. Prescriptions must be issued as a signed or digitally signed document and sent to the patient or their pharmacy.

Records and fees

The doctor must keep a log of the consultation (patient, date, mode, and the advice given) and keep prescriptions and reports like any other medical record. Fees may be charged as for an in-person visit, and a receipt must be given.

Emergencies

Telemedicine is not for emergencies. The doctor should give first-aid advice and direct the patient to in-person care.

What a clinic needs to run video consultations

• ✓A booking that carries the consent. The patient books the video slot and pays, which makes the consultation patient-initiated.
• ✓A link that works on any phone. Patients should not need to install anything or create an account.
• ✓The prescription pad beside the call. The doctor writes and signs the prescription during the visit, and the patient receives it as a PDF.
• ✓A record that files itself. Date, mode, patient identity, fee and prescription should land in the patient’s record without retyping.

On Treatlly, video consultations are an add-on at ₹599 a month with no fee per call: patients book and pay online, get the join link and a 15-minute reminder by SMS, and the doctor joins from the dashboard or the staff app with the prescription pad beside the call. See online consultation software.

Can a doctor prescribe antibiotics on a video consultation?+

It depends on the medicine and the mode. Medicines on List A can be prescribed in a first consultation held by video, or in a follow-up. Check the current lists in the guidelines; they are specific about drug categories.

Does the patient need to be in India?+

The guidelines cover consultations by RMPs registered in India with patients in India. Consulting patients abroad involves the law of that country as well; take advice before you offer it.

Is WhatsApp allowed for consultations?+

The guidelines allow text and video on messaging platforms, with the same duties of consent, identity, records and prescription limits. The practical problem is record-keeping: a consultation scattered across a personal chat is hard to file and easy to lose. A booked video visit with its own record is simpler to defend.

Can I charge the same fee as an in-clinic visit?+

Yes. The guidelines allow telemedicine to be charged like an in-person consultation, and require a receipt. On Treatlly the fee is set per doctor and paid at booking.