The pharmaceutical trade in the country wants the government to set up a co-ordinating committee to monitor the implementation of the code of marketing practice framed by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, (DoP). This demand comes after the realisation that most of the pharma companies are still to adopt the DoP code even after three months of its implementation.

In June this year, the DoP released the Code to check the practice of offering incentives to the doctors by pharmaceutical companies for prescribe medicines. The DoP Code puts clear restrictions on companies for offering incentives such as gifts and other favours to doctors for prescribing medicines.

According to Dilip Mehta, president, Pharmaceutical Wholesalers Association (PWA), the trade has been very supportive of the release of the code as it can bring down the prices of prescription drugs  in the country. He informed, “pharma  companies currently incur 30 to 40 per cent of the cost of the drug for promoting their products through doctors. Now with successful implementation of the code, these promotional costs should come down resulting in reduction of drug prices. Most importantly we are hopeful that with the stoppage of incentives doctors will start prescribing affordable generics to the patients.”

However, he pointed out that the PWA and the Retail Dispensing Chemists and Druggists Association (RDCA) are worried that the whole objective behind implementing it may be lost as the DoP Code is voluntary and not mandatory.

“There is lot of ambiguity and grey areas in the code that needs to be sorted out at the earliest. Moreover, having a code does not necessarily mean that it is actually being followed by the pharma companies. The government should constitute a committee to ensure that the companies are not violating the code inadvertently and that the code is being implemented effectively,” Mehta said.

The association suggested that the co-ordinating committee should consist of members from the government including representatives from MCI, the DCGI's office and state FDAs along with representatives from the trade associations to ensure better policing of the implementation of the code.

Mehta stated, “For better understanding and transparency of the whole process the government should involve all the stake holders in the committee so that every one can work together for greater results.”

Further he pointed out that steps should be taken to ensure that a medical practitioner does not endorse any particular drug or product of the industry publicly, failing to which they should be punished accordingly.