The Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) has constituted a committee to comprehensively examine the existing regulatory framework governing pharmaceutical marketing practices and recommend measures to strengthen oversight, monitoring and enforcement mechanisms to curb unethical practices in the pharmaceutical sector.

Dr. M Srinivas, Member, NITI Aayog has been named as the Chairperson of the committee with Preeti Sudan, Former Union Health Secretary, and Dr. Naresh Trehan, CMD, Medanta, as its members. The committee will have to submit its recommendations within a period of 2 months from the date of its first meeting, after undertaking the requisite consultative process.

The Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP) was introduced in 2015 as a voluntary, industry-led self-regulatory mechanism to promote ethical pharmaceutical marketing and regulate interactions between pharmaceutical companies and healthcare professionals. The department subsequently introduced UCPMP 2024, which superseded the 2015 version and strengthened the implementation framework. The 2024 Code is currently in operation.

The committee will undertake a holistic and comprehensive examination of all issues relating to unethical pharmaceutical marketing practices. It will assess the efficacy of existing mechanisms for monitoring, oversight and enforcement, and identify measures to enhance transparency, accountability and effective compliance.

The committee will also examine the need to strengthen the existing monitoring and regulatory framework and recommend appropriate regulatory, statutory or other measures, along with the necessary legal framework for their implementation. It will consult relevant stakeholders, technical, professional and domain experts, institutions and bodies, as considered necessary, objectively consider their submissions, and make recommendations following a comprehensive examination.

Additionally, the committee will deliberate on and recommend measures addressing any other relevant issues related to curbing unethical pharmaceutical marketing practices.