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DoP extends voluntary implementation of UCPMP by pharma companies till further orders
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Ramesh Shankar, Mumbai
September 20 , 2016
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Even after more than five years since it first issued the draft Uniform
Code of Pharmaceuticals Marketing Practices (UCPMP), the Department of
Pharmaceuticals (DoP) could not make the UCPMP compulsory for pharma
companies in the country as the department has once again extended the
voluntary implementation of UCPMP by pharma companies, this time till
further orders.
In order to arrest the unethical marketing
practice of bribing doctors by the pharma companies for prescribing
their drugs, the DoP way back in June 2011 had issued the draft UCPMP,
inviting feedback from the stakeholders before making it a statutory
code.
After several years of dilly-dallying on the issue, the DoP
ultimately in November 2014 issued the UCPMP which should be
voluntarily adopted and complied with by the pharma industry for a
period of six months with effect from January 1, 2015 and it would be
reviewed thereafter on the basis of the inputs received by the
department.
Even though since then it engaged in discussions
with the stakeholders to make UCPMP compulsory for pharma companies in
the country, the DoP could not finalise the document forcing it to
extend the voluntary implementation by pharma companies several times.
At last, the department has now extended it till further orders.
As
per the UCPMP, no gifts, pecuniary advantages or benefits in kind may
be supplied, offered or promised to persons qualified to prescribe or
supply drugs, by a pharmaceutical company or any of its agents i.e.
distributors, wholesalers, retailers, etc. Gifts for the personal
benefit of healthcare professionals and family members (both immediate
and extended) (such as tickets to entertainment events) also are not be
offered or provided.
The document further says that companies or
their associations/representatives or any person acting on their behalf
shall not extend any travel facility inside the country or outside,
including rail, air, ship, cruise tickets, paid vacations, etc., to
healthcare professionals and their family members for vacation or for
attending conference, seminars, workshops, CME programme etc. as a
delegate.
Besides, companies should not extend any hospitality
like hotel accommodation to healthcare practitioners and their family
members under any pretext. Companies should not pay any cash or monetary
grants to any healthcare professional for individual purpose in
individual capacity under any pretext. Funding for medical research,
study etc, can only be extended through approved institutions by
modalities laid down by law/rules/guidelines adopted by such approved
institutions, in a transparent manner.
As per the new UCPMP,
free samples of drugs shall not be supplied to any person who is not
qualified to prescribe such product. Where samples of products are
distributed by a medical representative, the sample must be handed
directly to a person qualified to prescribe such product or to a person
authorised to receive the sample on their behalf.
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