Mandatory code for pharma marketing on the anvil

Pharma companies may have to cough up huge penalties for unethical and illegal practices like offering freebies, gifts and foreign trips to doctors for pushing the sales of their products. 

The government is set to make mandatory the uniform code of conduct for pharmaceutical marketing practices, which have so far been voluntary. The department of pharmaceuticals (DoP) is working on a draft which will curb unethical marketing methods and ban specific practices such as giving gifts and sponsor vacations of doctors by drug manufacturers, an official source said. 

The draft mandatory code of conduct is expected to be finalized and put in public domain seeking stakeholder consultation by end of November, the official said. The draft is also likely to spell out the penalty and punishment for not complying with the prescribed code of conduct. 

The move has been triggered by insufficient compliance to the existing norms by pharmaceutical companies. "Pharma companies have not fully implemented the voluntary code of conduct till date. Since there is no penalty stipulated on the same, companies tend to take it lightly," the official said. 

In November 2014, the DoP had issued the 'Uniform Code of Pharmaceuticals Marketing Practices' for a period of six months starting from January 1, 2015. It was also suggested that it would be subject to review after six months on the basis of compliance and inputs received by the government. 

While the industry opposed mandatory norms for marketing, the government extended the deadline for the adoption of the voluntary norms by two months from July 1 to August 31, 2015. 

The latest draft will be based on its review of voluntary implementation of the earlier norms by the companies, the official said. 

If made mandatory, this will be for the first time that pharma companies will have to comply with such stringent norms. Though the government had in 2008-09 decided to put a similar ban on unethical marketing practices, it could not be implemented due to severe opposition from the pharma industry, which promised self-regulation. 

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Mandatory-code-for-pharma-marketing-on-the-anvil/articleshow/49499766.cms