Press release: Delhi | 01 April 2022

By its very nature, the accessibility of life-saving pharmaceutical items has a significant impact on a society’s well-being. The pharmaceutical sector plays a significant role in this context, particularly in the discovery and development of novel pharmaceutical goods, as well as the speedy and safe development of these products, and eventually the production and distribution of safe and effective products. Similar to other profit-driven industries, the pharmaceutical business has joined the bandwagon in the process of maximizing profits in the current period of competitive global markets, thanks to advancements in global marketing strategy and technologies.

In December 2014, the Central Government issued the “Uniform Code of Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices” (“UCPMP”) as advice to the industry for drug and medical device promotion and marketing. For the foreseeable time, this is a voluntary code of marketing practices for the Indian pharmaceutical industry, and its application will be assessed six months after its publication.

In a verdict published on February 22, the Supreme Court underlined its concern with pharmaceutical corporations’ unscrupulous marketing methods, which result in excessive prescriptions of high-priced pharmaceuticals, jeopardizing individuals’ right to health and life.

Oliver Wendell Holmes, the Supreme Court Justice, once said:

“A word is not a crystal, transparent and unchanged; it is the skin of a living thought and may vary greatly in colour and content according to the circumstances and the time in which it is used.”

The Supreme Court has issued a Notice in the writ of mandate to draft a Uniform Code of Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices to regulate unethical practices by pharmaceutical companies.

PharmaState.academy and the Institute of Medicine and Law are partnering up to deliver you a live interactive session on Pharma Marketing Law/Regulations/UCPMP that will contribute to the discussion “Changes in pharma marketing law since the Supreme Court’s recent decision.”

“Do you think the correct implementation of UCPMP may produce a better work environment for Pharma, Doctors, and Patients?” asks a survey conducted by PharmaState Academy. With 65 percent agreed and 30 percent uninformed of UCPMP’s establishment, PharmaState Academy decided to host a UCPMP session to aware pharma professionals on the Do’s and Don’ts of Pharma Marketing and Sales practices.

Currently, there is no explicit legal provision that governs pharma marketing and sales tactics, but recent Supreme Court and government rulings show that lawmakers and the government are serious about enacting a strict law, code, or directive to oversee pharma marketing practices. PharmaState Academy approached and conducted a poll to see whether anyone wanted to attend the “UCPMP (Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices) learning session series,” and 96 percent said affirmatively.

You will receive the unique opportunity to learn directly from Advocate Mahendra Kumar Bajpai, one of India’s foremost authorities on medical laws, as a pharma professional. He is an Honorary Director of the Institute of Medicine and Law and a practicing Supreme Court attorney. Advocate Bajpai is a well-known speaker who commands the respect of both the legal and medical communities. He is known for his tenacious arguments in court.

You can do free registration by clicking the link.

Who must attend: The session is open to the Pharma Marketing, Medico Marketing, Legal-Sales team and anyone working in the pharma industry.

References:

1. https://www.livelaw.in/top-stories/supreme-court-uniform-code-of-pharmaceutical-marketing-practices-pharma-companies-193968
2. https://www.deccanherald.com/national/sc-notice-to-centre-on-plea-against-unethical-marketing-practices-by-pharma-companies-1090366.html
3. https://main.sci.gov.in/supremecourt/2019/33259/33259_2019_2_1501_33618_Judgement_22-Feb-2022.pdf