Govt acts on LC ask against commission by pharma to Doctors
The Central Government notified a Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP) which addresses issues raised by several members and surveys of LocalCircles. Big win to all members who were active on this issue
The Code reads: No gift should be offered or provided for personal benefit of any healthcare professional/family member by any pharma Cos/ agent/ distributors/ wholesalers/ retailers. No pecuniary advantage or benefit in kind may be offered, supplied, or promised to any person qualified to prescribe or supply drugs by any pharma cos/ agent/distributors, wholesalers, retailers. Pharma Cos/representatives, should not extend travel facilities inside or outside the country, including rail, air, ship, cruise tickets, paid vacations, etc to healthcare professionals/ family members. more
The Code reads: No gift should be offered or provided for personal benefit of any healthcare professional/family member by any pharma Cos/ agent/ distributors/ wholesalers/ retailers. No pecuniary advantage or benefit in kind may be offered, supplied, or promised to any person qualified to prescribe or supply drugs by any pharma cos/ agent/distributors, wholesalers, retailers. Pharma Cos/representatives, should not extend travel facilities inside or outside the country, including rail, air, ship, cruise tickets, paid vacations, etc to healthcare professionals/ family members. more
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A system of commission is very well ingrained across the globe. Legislation will not remedy it as there are other practical limitations. For a doctor and a pharma company, it is a business and there is profit motive attached. Most doctors did not choose the career because they wanted to do social service.What happens if a new medicine/drug is released? How will it get known and be prescribed? While doctors do get enriched in the process, newer medicines also find their entry as there is an incentive to propagate it. And we all know how efficient the government system in curbing anything. Before you know it, some babu will be getting part of the commission and the menace will go on. In any case how do they expect to link a nexus between prescription and commission? There are so many ways of getting around it that the government will never be able to effectively do it. It feeds a an awful lot of people in the value chain who will not allow it to happen. Rather a cap on drug prices can keep commissions and profiteering in check. Even that can be flawed at times if drug prices are not aligned with costs. more
Mar 15
Good step but concern about implementation of the same. In today's scenario all the companies are offering commission even as cash to the Doctors for prescribing their medicines resulting into excessive medicine to the patients without need. more
Mar 13
Can this ever be implemented in practice? All that Pharma companies have to is keep such expensess out of their Balance Sheets or diguise them. more
Mar 13
Good but implementation is a big concern as usual.Companies employ marketing external companies who give these are reimbursed the expenses by the company and so what happens the main company are not directly involved in these and employs a separate company so it needs to be seen how this progresses. more
Mar 13
