NMC Act 2020 and what it means for your telemedicine consult

The legal framework that makes your remote doctor consult valid. The short version, and what it requires from us.

What the Act establishes

The National Medical Commission Act 2020 created the NMC, the central regulatory body for medical practitioners. Every doctor who can issue a legal prescription must hold an NMC (or State Medical Council) registration.

The 2020 Telemedicine Practice Guidelines

These sit under the NMC Act. They define what a valid teleconsultation looks like: doctor verifies their identity and registration to you, patient verifies their identity, consent is taken, and the doctor maintains a record.

Schedule restrictions

Doctors cannot prescribe Schedule X or NDPS drugs via telemedicine. List O (over-the-counter) is fine; Schedule H (Rx-only, includes GLP-1) is fine for second consultations once a doctor-patient relationship is established.

Why your prescription is legitimate

Every prescription on ZIVOLABS includes the doctor's NMC number, signature, and timestamp — exactly what an in-person Rx contains.