Dept of Pharma Launches New Marketing code For Drugs Stirs Debate

The department of pharmaceuticals (DoP) has framed with another arrangement of rigid marketing code for the pharma organizations. Uniform Code for Drug Showcasing Practices (UCPMP) 2024 is the new code and is “mandatory” and would supplant the past one that was "voluntary" in nature, official sources added. Nonetheless, specialists said that despite the fact that the new code obviously characterizes do and donts, its viability actually stays far fetched on the ground. They additionally brought up that it is not transparent assuming the code is necessary in nature.

“The code is definitely stringent but the problem is much deeper. The pharmaceutical market is highly competitive. No company wants to lose market share. I believe the companies will find loopholes as it’s already evident that they don’t want to follow the global international practices,” said Anita Shantaram, founder of EthicsIndia adding that nearly 7 out of 10 Indian doctors take favours from pharma companies.  She also noted that large sections  of doctors have “become used to taking gifts.”

Nonetheless, pharma affiliations said that organizations were at that point following the UCPMP yet there was an absence of lucidity on specific issues which has been cleared by the new code. “The code aims to streamline the marketing practices and remove ambiguities. The companies have changed a lot of their practices when UCPMP 2015 came into being,” said Viranchi Shah, national president, Indian Drug Manufacturer’s Association (IDMA).

Specialists said that doctors looking for favor from pharma organizations prescribe medicines where the edges are higher. Generally speaking, the expense of these ‘unethical’ promoting spends adds around 10-20% to the general cost of the medication. “They might not be able to send doctors on international trips but they can always pay for the upkeep of the clinics. The influence of pharma companies is not going away anytime soon,” said head of a healthcare advocacy group.