Mandatory marketing code for drugmakers in India to have strong penal provisions
In India, the mandatory marketing code for
pharma companies would be having strong penal provisions in order to prevent
bribing of doctors for prescribing drugs by drug companies.
The
voluntary code which was applicable till June 2015 has been allotted four
extensions, according to a web posting by Brand India Pharma, an initiative led
by Pharmexcil
(Pharmaceutical Export Promotion Council) and IBEF (India Brand Equity
Foundation).
The provision comes in the wake of large
number of doctors being bribed by pharma companies. The Ministry of Chemicals
and Fertilizers had come up with a Uniform Code of Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP)
in January 2015 in consultation with industry.
The code was expected to be reviewed after
its voluntary application for six months. The Ministry extended the deadline
till June 30 in spite of corrupt practices surfacing. Self regulation was
promised by the industry, though the government admitted later that a voluntary
code is difficult to enforce and had announced its plans to make it mandatory.
Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA) which is a national network
of organizations working on public health had made a presentation on a
consolidated ethical marketing code in a stakeholder meeting held in February
2016. With several cases of bribery by pharma companies still on the rise, the
Ministry finally took the above step.
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