Unfair practices, rein in pharma firms: PIL

New Delhi, March 11

The Supreme Court on Friday issued a notice to the Centre on a PIL seeking a direction to the Centre for formulating a a uniform code to curb unethical practices by pharma companies and ensure an effective monitoring mechanism, transparency, accountability as well as consequences of violations.

A Bench led by Justice DY Chandrachud, which decided to examine the PIL seeking a Uniform Code of Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices, asked the Centre to respond to the PIL in six weeks.

On behalf of petitioner Federation of Medical and Sales Representatives Association of India, senior advocate Sanjay Parikh said it was an important issue in the public interest.

Parikh said the government should look into it and the code should be made statutory in nature as “we all know what happened with Remdesivir injections and other drugs of those combinations”.

He said the petitioners have been pursuing it with the government since 2009 and till the government comes out with the code, this court may lay down some guidelines.

The Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations of 2002 prescribe a code of conduct for doctors in their relationship with pharmaceutical and allied health sector industry, and prohibit accepting gifts and entertainment, travel facilities, hospitality, cash or monetary grants by medical practitioners from pharmaceutical companies, the PIL submitted.

Form uniform code

• PIL seeks directions to Centre to form uniform code to curb unethical practices by firms