India’s Department of Pharmaceuticals has presented a draft code of
marketing practices for the pharmaceutical industry that would, among
other things, ban gifts from drugmakers to doctors. It also would
require third parties working for drugmakers, including advertising
agency personnel, consultants and others, to have a “good working
knowledge” of the rules. The proposal follows on the heels of similar
efforts in the US. However, the proposed rules are a bit more lenient
regarding industry-sponsored continuing medical education, allowing
some travel expenses, meals and refreshments, accommodations and
registration fees for events held in India to be paid for by
drugmakers.
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