Efforts are on to inculcate ethical practices among pharmaceutical companies while promoting their medicines among health care providers, especially the doctors in Telangana.
The Indian Drug Manufacturers Association (IDMA) has formally asked its members in Telangana to adhere to the Uniform Code of Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP), a code introduced by Department of Pharmaceutical, GOI, from January 1.
The apex body of drug manufacturers has urged its members in the State to follow the code to ensure ethical and transparent marketing practices.
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“We have over 40 big drug companies from Telangana who are our members. We have urged them to follow the basic ethics in UCPMP. On behalf of manufacturers, we are fully committed about promoting drugs in an ethical way. We intend to fulfil our promise,” says president, IDMA, S. V. Veerramani.
For years, doctors had access to gifts, hospitality, free samples and many more benefits in various forms from drug companies. The UCPMP essentially bans such gifts, financial help or benefits of any kind to doctors from drug companies.
It also makes it clear that pharma companies should not extend any kind of travel facility within India or outside including rail, cruise tickets, paid vacations and flight tickets to health care professionals and their family members to participate in continuing medical education (CME) programmes, workshops and seminars in India and outside.
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Move welcomed
The members of AP Medical Council and MCI in Hyderabad have also welcomed the move.
“Till now, there were ethical codes and standards set only for doctors. There was no such moral code for drug companies. This was high time such a code was introduced because the doctor-pharma nexus is becoming very difficult to curb only by MCI,” says member, MCI, Dr. K. Ramesh Reddy.
According to UCPMP, pharma companies should make sure that their medical representatives follow the code.
The companies can’t supply sample packs of anti-depressants, hypnotics, sedatives or tranquilizers to health care professionals. The code makes it mandatory to provide accurate, balanced, verifiable and objective claims related to drugs manufactured.