Effect of alternative medicinal systems and general practice.

Alternative medicinal systems like Ayurveda and homeopathy are respected and legitimate sciences. The former was born in India. Colleges abound in this country churning out tens of thousands of graduates of these fields. It is ironic that a large number of them pratice allopathic general practice instead of, or along with, their field of specialisation despite laws prohibiting them to do so. Their gross lack of knowledge of dermatology wreaks a havoc. Even GPs contribute to this confusion for the same reason. Pharmacists contribute to unauthorised sale of dermatologic drugs and promote unsupervised treatment flouting the law. The result is neglected and vitiated dermatoses, unwanted adverse drug reactions and resource depletion for the patient. The practising dermatologist in India is unfortunately the one who bears the brunt of the above confusion. However these situations are also contributory to the enviable clinical skills that Indian dermatologists are so well known for.