The Indian Drug Manufacturers Association (IDMA) will conduct a panel discussion on "MCI changes: professional conduct, etiquette & ethics regulation - sensitizing of doctors" on June 13, 2010 in Mumbai.

The Medical Council of India (MCI) had on December 10, 2009, issued a notification to amend the "Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002" under which the MCI issued a code of conduct for doctors and professional association of doctors in their relationship with pharmaceutical and allied health sector industry.

Under the new MCI amendment, the doctors were warned of stringent action if they violated the new MCI norms. Under the new norms, while dealing with pharmaceutical and allied health sector industry, a medical practitioner was barred from accepting any kind of gifts including travel facilities inside the country or outside, including rail, air, ship, cruise tickets, paid vacations, etc for self and family members for vacation or for attending conference, seminars, workshops, CME programme, etc as a delegate.

Under the new MCI norms, the doctors were barred from accepting any hospitality like hotel accommodation for self and family members under any pretext and also to accept cash or monetary grants. The new norms also barred the doctors from endorsing any drug. There are several others norms in the amendment.

The IDMA panel discussion on the issue will focus on the questions like: Does this spell the end in the Dr-Pharma healthy relationship which translates into patient's welfare?; and Does this put a stop to the efforts of the Industry to spread awareness of advances in field of medicine, including therapeutics?

The panel discussion will involve MCI, Association of Medical Consultants (Mumbai), practising doctors and industry representatives - Indian and MNC companies. Over 200 consultants and surgeons are expected to participate the programme.

The panelists include Dr Vasant Pawar (ex-MCI member; surgeon), Dr Y K Amdekar (consultant paediatrician), Dr Eric Borges (consultant cardiologist), Dr R K Sanghavi [consulting physician; chairman, Medical Subcommittee (IDMA)], Dr Ajit Dangi (president & CEO, Danssen Consulting; chairman, Fulford India Ltd), A Vaidheesh [chairman, Confederation of Indian Institute (CII) Subcommittee on Accessibility; MD, Johnson & Johnson Medical India] and Satyajeet Mukherjee (Assoc V-P Sales & Marketing, USV Ltd).

The moderators of the programme include Dr Ketan Parikh (Pediatric Surgeon; Attachment: Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital & Medical Research Institute) and Dr Umesh Oza (Urologist; Attachment: Bombay Hospital & Medical Research Centre).