The government plans to make the code of conduct -which bans unethical marketing practices like doling out freebies and sponsoring jaunts of doctors -mandatory on the drug and medical devices industry .
The code, which bars pharma firms from giving cruise tickets, expensive gifts and exotic vacations to doctors, is voluntary at present, but with concerns that it lacks teeth and given the rampant violations in practice, the Centre seems to be veering around to make it tighter and binding by making it a regulation.
The government has started discussions with the stakeholders as the code is voluntary till August, industry sources said, adding that a final call on the matter will be taken by the year-end, and changes, if any , will be implemented only next year.
In a series of meetings held last week with the industry , consumer and health activists, the Centre conveyed that it is “keen“ to make the code mandatory , sources said, since cases of “misconduct“ continue with certain drug companies sponsoring exotic trips for doctors under the garb of medical education. The Uniform Code of Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices kicked in from January this year, and was to be reviewed after six months.
When contacted, depart ment of pharmaceuticals joint secretary Sudhansh Pant declined to comment.
Interestingly , results of a survey done by a top consultancy and discussed with the government at the meeting held recently in Mumbai indicate that a majority of the pharma industry is in favour of tighter controls by making the code mandatory . “There are 15%-20% black sheep who are bringing a bad name to the entire industry . We want (that) to be curbed“, an industry player said.
“We want the code to be `voluntary and self-regulatory' as we feel that it is not practical to follow,“ Indian Drug Manufacturers Association secretary general Daara Patel told TOI, adding the industry body will ask for “certain concessions“ in case it is made mandatory .
Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance secretary general D G Shah said they were in favour of making the code mandatory as it is not being implemented stringently now. The medical devices industry also wants the code to be mandatory, but has asked for certain concessions like “low-value“ gifts, Rajiv Nath of Association of Indian Medical Device Industry said. The code was implemented in January after delay of years. Though it had first decided to ban all such un ethical practices through a uniform code in 2008-2009, the exercise was futile as the pharma associations did not agree to it. Even after the code kicked in this year, complaints against drug companies continued with many saying that it existed only on paper as companies aggressively try to influence prescriptions through several ways.
