Question : Biased Prescription by Doctors

Will the Minister of CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS be pleased to state:

(a) whether any report has been received by the Government about aggressive marketing of drugs by influencing the doctors to write prescription of drugs of costlier brands by giving them gifts, hospitality and foreign trips, if so, the reaction of the Government thereto; and
(b) whether Uniform Code of Pharmaceutical Marketing Practice (UCPMP) is under consideration to chek such immoral marketing practice and if so, the salient features and objectives of the said code?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS (SHRI HANSRAJ GANGARAM AHIR)

(a): Yes, Madam.

(b): The Government had prepared a draft Uniform Code of Pharmaceutical Marketing Practice (UCPMP) which was adopted voluntarily with effect from 1st January, 2015 for a period of six months by the pharmaceutical industry including medical device industry. This has last been extended up to 31.03.2016. The said code was reviewed and it has now been decided to make it statutory. Once the code is made statutory it is expected that the unethical practices could be controlled more effectively.

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