New Delhi: The Department of Pharmaceuticals on Friday (October 23, 2026) constituted a committee to examine the regulatory framework for pharmaceutical marketing practices and recommend ways to curb unethical practices, The Hindu BusinessLine reported.
The committee will be chaired by NITI Aayog Member Dr M. Srinivas, with former Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan and Medanta Chairman and Managing Director Dr Naresh Trehan as members, according to the Department of Pharmaceuticals statement summarised from Press Information Bureau (PIB) releases.
The panel will undertake a comprehensive examination of issues relating to unethical pharmaceutical marketing and assess whether the existing mechanisms for monitoring, oversight and enforcement are adequate to ensure compliance, The Hindu BusinessLine reported. It has specifically been asked to examine the need for measures to strengthen the monitoring and regulatory framework and to recommend appropriate regulatory, statutory or other legal measures, as necessary.
Its terms of reference also include identifying ways to improve transparency, accountability and effective compliance. The committee will consult relevant stakeholders, technical and professional experts, institutions and other bodies as necessary, and must submit its recommendations within two months of its first meeting, The Hindu BusinessLine reported.
The Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP) was introduced in 2015 as a voluntary, industry-led code and was replaced by UCPMP 2024, which is currently in force. The code seeks to ensure that pharmaceutical promotion is accurate, balanced and evidence-based, and that prescribing and treatment decisions are not improperly influenced by gifts, financial inducements or other benefits offered by pharmaceutical companies, The Hindu BusinessLine reported.