New Delhi, July 24 (IANS). The Central Government has imposed several strict provisions under the Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP), 2024 to ensure transparency and ethics in marketing of pharmaceutical companies.
Under the new rules, drug companies will have to set up an Ethics Committee for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (ECPMP), appoint an ethics officer, make arrangements for redressal of complaints and appeals, give a self-declaration of compliance with the rules and also disclose the prescribed marketing expenditure. This information was given in Parliament on Friday.
The government said that the purpose of these rules is to prevent unethical marketing by pharmaceutical companies and promote responsible promotion of medicines, under which contacts between doctors and representatives of pharmaceutical companies and promotional activities are also regulated.
Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers, Anupriya Patel, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha said that the Department of Pharmaceuticals had notified UCPMP, 2024 on April 12, 2024, which replaced UCPMP, 2015. After this, this code was also amended in September 2025.
He informed that the UCPMP, 2024 has included several amended provisions to ensure ethical marketing by pharmaceutical companies, which include constitution of ECPMP, appointment of Ethics Officer, two-tier system of disposal of complaints and appeals, self-declaration regarding compliance with the rules and disclosure of prescribed marketing expenditure.
The minister said that in this code, the rules related to promotional activities among pharmaceutical companies, health professionals and health institutions have also been strengthened. Under the amendments made in the year 2025, it has been made mandatory for companies to submit details of their marketing expenses every year on the respective portal.
According to the government, the main objective of this code is to prevent unethical marketing by pharmaceutical companies and ensure responsible promotion of medicines among doctors. For this, clear guidelines have been set for the activities between doctors and representatives of pharmaceutical companies.
Under the new rules, pharmaceutical companies will be fully responsible for the activities of their medical representatives and other employees. Also, no pharmaceutical company will be allowed to provide facilities like gifts, cash benefits or hospitality to doctors or their family members.
Under the code, pharmaceutical companies will also have to self-declare that they are following all the rules. Apart from this, expenditure incurred on conferences, seminars and workshops organized for Continuing Medical Education (CME) and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) will also have to be disclosed. Independent, random or risk-based audit of companies can also be conducted. A two-tier system has been created to resolve complaints, while appeals will be resolved by the Department of Pharmaceuticals.
–IANS
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