Regulation of Medical Profession: The Current Scenario

Medical profession is essentially self-regulated, since historical times. The physicians convinced society that science-based medicine was superior to alternative therapies and that their profession represented a trustworthy moral enterprise. We constructed information from Pubmed/Medline, Google database and text books to provide an overview. Complexity of the knowledge base and skills required, especially as technology advanced, would make regulation by non-professionals difficult. The major obstacles for credible self-regulation are providing assurance that those in practice maintain their competence; taking appropriate action once a problem with an individual practitioner has been identified and regulating conflict of interest. Conflict is inherent in a profession in which individuals are expected to be altruistic, while, as human beings, still pursue their own interests. Self-regulation of the medical profession is complex, and involves multilaminar, clairvoyant oversight aimed at guaranteeing the competence of the practicing physician. The privilege of self-regulation of medical profession has gradually made way to establishment of licensing laws worldwide. Standards were considered to be weak, variable and inconsistently applied, and physicians were further accused of using collegiality as a means of shielding poorly performing peers. Identifying problem physicians and taking appropriate disciplinary action against them can be a complex situation and can tarnish the reputation of the entire medical profession. When the society becomes dissatisfied with the performance of the profession; changes the terms of the social contract and reclaim some of these powers, the medical profession's rights to self-regulation tends to decline. The principal regulatory body may have a majority of lay members, which would mean that the profession is no longer self-regulating. Profession must accept greater accountability and should not hesitate to act on professional misconduct. Self-regulation is a privilege that can be maintained only with public consent and trust. The present generation of doctors needs to adapt and accept the changing scenario and develop a scientific approach to achieve the lost glory.