Dolo-650 makers 'bribed' doctors, gave Rs 1,000-cr freebies

New Delhi, August 18

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The Central Board of Direct Taxes has accused the pharmaceutical company manufacturing popular Dolo-650 mg tablets of distributing Rs 1,000-crore freebies to doctors for prescribing the anti-inflammatory, fever-reducing drug to patients, the Supreme Court was told on Thursday.

Senior advocate Sanjay Parikh told a Bench led by Justice DY Chandrachud on behalf of petitioner Federation of Medical and Sales Representatives Association of India that the market price of any tablet up to 500mg was regulated under price control mechanism but the price of tablets above 500mg could be fixed by pharma companies.

To ensure a higher profit margin, the drug manufacturer distributed freebies to doctors to prescribe the Dolo-650 mg, Parikh said, adding it’s an “irrational dose combination”. “What you are saying is not music to my ears. This is exactly the drug that I had when I had Covid recently. This is a serious issue and we will look into it,” Justice Chandrachud said. The Bench asked Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj to file his response in 10 days and posted the matter for further hearing on September 29.

It also gave a week thereafter to Parikh to file his rejoinder after the senior counsel said that he would like to bring more such facts to the knowledge of the court. The petition sought directions to Centre for formulating a uniform code of pharmaceutical marketing practices to curb unethical practices.