Govt forms committee to regulate marketing practices of pharma companies

The government has constituted a high-level committee to hammer out a legal mechanism to address the issue of pharmaceutical companies giving inducements for promoting their drugs and products. The five-member committee chaired by Dr VK Paul, NITI Aayog member (health) will also review various other issues pertaining to the Uniform Code of Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP). The panel includes secretary of the department of pharmaceuticals S Aparna, Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan, and Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) chairman Nitin Gupta as members, and a joint secretary (policy) from the department of pharmaceuticals as member secretary. The committee was constituted on the recommendation of Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Chemicals and Fertilizers, Mansukh Mandaviya. An office memorandum issued on September 12 stated that the department of pharmaceuticals has also put in place a code of ethics, the UCPMP, for pharma companies, which has been in effect since January 1, 2015 and has been adopted by all the major pharmaceutical associations.

The code provides for the procedure of filing complaints, inquiry by the Apex Committees of the Associations, penal actions, etc to be taken by the pharma association of which the company is a member.

The code is not enforceable under any law/statute of the government, the office memorandum read. The Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002, under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956, as amended from time to time, mention in detail the relationship of the healthcare professionals with pharmaceutical companies and prohibits the physicians and medical practitioners from committing such acts which are “unethical” in nature, the office memorandum stated. PTI