Source: THE HINDU-21st January,2020
The Alliance of Doctors for Ethical Healthcare has demanded that the
Uniform Code of Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices be made mandatory. “It is
unfortunate that even after 5 years the code remains voluntary. This is despite
the fact that several medical organisations have demanded this repeatedly from
the government,” it said.
The statement comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly warned
pharmaceutical companies not to indulge in unethical practices and stop giving
freebies to the doctors with a purpose to procure business.
“The global experience also shows that the voluntary code does not work,”
noted a statement issued by the group even while pharmaceutical companies have
denied that deliberations on this subject occurred in the meeting.
“It may be pointed out here that the companies spend crores of rupees through
associations by sponsoring the medical conferences. They spend a huge amount on
travel, accommodation and other expenditures on the doctors for lavish
arrangements of the conferences,” said the Alliance.
As per law “companies or their associations/representatives are not to extend
any hospitality like hotel accommodation to healthcare practitioners and their
family members under any pretext.” The implied meaning of this is that even
extending benefits to the doctors through associations is unethical. But this
is being flouted with impunity, the group noted.
The Medical Council of India (MCI) had amended The Indian Medical Council
(Professional conduct, etiquette and ethics) regulation 2002 in its meeting on
February 18, 2014 and exempted the “Professional Associations of Doctors” from
the purview of Medical Ethics.
“There is urgent need to take steps to reverse this amendment,” said the
statement.
They added that since the corporate hospitals are not covered under this
regulation, they take advantage and openly flout ethics.
“They should also be brought under the regulation on ethics. It is also
equally important that any freebies from the Pharmaceutical companies be made
taxable. These were taxable earlier but the decision was reversed later by the
Pune Bench of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal,” said the Alliance.
