The Directorate General of Health Services has asked to remove the use of “DR” prefix for physiotherapists for changes in the new physiotherapy course, saying that it can confuse and confuse patients.

In a letter to the Indian Medical Association (IMA), DGHS said that several groups, including the Association of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (IAPMR), had objected to the provision in the qualification -based course for physiotherapy, 2025.

The curriculum released in April this year suggested that physiotherapy graduates could use “Dr.” before their name with the suffix “PT”.

DGHS stated that physiotherapists are not trained as medical doctors and should not present themselves in this way. DGHS is a primary regulatory body for healthcare and is associated with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

“Physiotherapist is not trained as medical doctors and therefore, prefix” DR “should not be used, as it misleads patients and general public, possibly leading to Quakery,” Dr. Sunita Sharma, Director General of Health Services, is mentioned in the letter.

The letter further states that physiotherapist should work on referrals from doctors and not as primary care providers.

The ministry also stated that courts and medical councils have repeatedly ruled against the use of “DR” by the physiotherapist. Along with the decisions of Patna High Court (2003), Bangalore Court (2020), and Madras High Court (2022), advice from Tamil Nadu Medical Council has all made it clear that prefixes are reserved for registered medical doctors.

The letter further warned that using the title without a recognized medical degree is a violation of the Indian Medical Degree Act, 1916, and can invite legal action.

The Healthcare Regulatory Body has now directed that the course be corrected immediately. It said that “more appropriate and respectable title” can be considered for physiotherapy graduates without creating confusion to the public.