India Forms Committee to Review Pharmaceutical Marketing Rules

The Department of Pharmaceuticals, operating under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, has established a three-member committee to review the effectiveness of the Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP). The panel is tasked with evaluating whether the current voluntary, industry-led system is sufficient to prevent unethical marketing or if a stronger statutory legal framework is necessary to ensure transparency and accountability.

Chaired by NITI Aayog member Dr. M. Srinivas, the committee includes former Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan and Medanta Chairman Dr. Naresh Trehan. The group will examine oversight and enforcement mechanisms to prevent gifts or financial inducements from influencing medical prescribing decisions. This review follows the introduction of the UCPMP in 2015 and its subsequent update in 2024.

The initiative comes after criticism from the Federation of Medical and Sales Representatives’ Associations of India, which argued that the 2024 norms lack specific penal provisions for companies that violate the rules. The committee is required to submit its final recommendations to the Department of Pharmaceuticals within two months of its first meeting.