The Union government has issued a notification unveiling the Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP), aimed at promoting ethical conduct and curtailing unethical practices within the pharmaceutical sector.
According to the code, pharmaceutical companies are barred from organizing overseas workshops for healthcare professionals or providing them with accommodations, extravagant meals, or financial incentives.
Furthermore, the code prohibits the offering of gifts for personal benefit to healthcare professionals or their family members by pharmaceutical companies or their agents. This includes distributors, wholesalers, and retailers.
In addition, companies are prohibited from providing travel facilities, such as rail, air, or cruise tickets, to healthcare professionals and their families for attending conferences, seminars, or workshops. The provision of hospitality, such as hotel stays and resort accommodations, to healthcare professionals or their families is also banned.
The code also restricts the supply of free samples to individuals not qualified to prescribe such products. Any samples provided must be clearly marked as “free medical sample not for sale” and should not exceed the smallest pack available in the market.
Moreover, companies may only provide informational and educational material, such as books and clinical treatment guidelines, valued at a maximum of Rs 1,000 per item.
The guidelines specify that Continuing Medical Education (CME) and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activities must adhere to a well-defined, transparent, and verifiable set of guidelines established by the pharmaceutical industry.
Pharmaceutical associations have been directed to establish an “Ethics Committee for Pharma Marketing Practices” to address complaints. Companies accused of violating the code must provide supporting evidence, and the committee is required to render a decision within 90 days of receiving a complaint.
The chief executive officer of a pharmaceutical company is tasked with ensuring compliance with the code and must submit annual self-declaration forms to associations or directly to the government’s UCPMP portal, thereby increasing accountability at the leadership level.
