Strict Norms For Pharma Companies In Offing

BBN: Pharmaceutical companies will no longer be able to offer expensive gifts to doctors in order to promote and boost the sale of their medicines. The Union Government has prepared an amended format of uniform code of conduct in order to put noose on unethical practices of marketing and promotion methods of drug companies. In fact the exercise to implement it soon has also begun. According to the proposed uniform code, no pharma company, its agent like distributor, wholesale distributor or seller himself or a person authorised for its sale could offer gift, extend financial benefit or make such promises to doctors. Even providing tickets to doctors for some holiday trip would be considered as a violation of the rule. The companies found violating the uniform code of conduct will be punished as per norms. There is a provision of imposing fine in the uniform code as per the amount of medicines seized.  Notably, the government had come up with drug marketing code with an objective of ending unethical practice of drug companies giving gifts and incentives and foreign trips to doctors to prescribe their medicines. The pharmaceutical companies had to implement it voluntarily. But it proved ineffective. The government thereafter decided to bring strict rules. As a result department of pharmaceuticals has to move in the direction of mandatorily imposition of uniform code of conduct with a provision of fine.  According to sources, Health Ministry and Medical Council of India advise has also been taken before its effective implementation. The code was supposed to be implemented in August, but the law ministry returned the proposal saying that provision of imposing fine is not attached in legal format as per Essential Commodities Act. The department of pharmaceuticals sent the amended format of the uniform code of conduct to law ministry. The law ministry had asked that is the proposed uniform code of conduct for drugs marketing practice is similar to the medical council of India code of conduct related to profession. Is it mandatory for drugs or other related service companies to follow it in case of doctors, asked law ministry.     The law ministry said that some of provisions of essential commodities act are not included stringently.  It has advised to bring the proposal under Drugs Pricing Control Authority (DPCO) in this perspective. However as per sources, there are very thin probabilities of bringing uniform code of conduct under new law or under DPCO. The department will implement it under essential commodities act, they added. In fact there is no change in amount of fine too in the amended proposal sent in December start of 2017. According to experts of drugs manufacturing area, union government could implement it soon to end the unethical practice of drugs companies as for sale and marketing of drugs is concerned.

Business Brief

PNB Business Crosses Rs.11 Lakh Crore

Dharamshala: The total business of Punjab National Bank(PNB) by the end of December 2017 quarter has crossed the Rs. 11 lakh crore mark, said Sunil Soni, circle head at PNB circle office, Dharamshala. Out of it, the branches under the Dharamshala circle office have done a business of Rs. 8837 crore, added he. He further said that the bank is striving hard to link as much as new customers with the bank and provide quality services to them. Besides this bank is also putting continuous efforts to bring down non performing assets (NPA). For this, bank has selected 300 branches and has been given a time period of one year, otherwise they will be merged with other branches.  The bank is determined to achieve the targets and implement all the plans and policies run by government.

Keep watching our YouTube Channel ‘Divya Himachal TV’. Also,  Download our Android App