Govt Sets Up Panel To Review Pharma Marketing Code As Gifts To Doctors Under Scrutiny Again

Last Updated:October 24, 2026, 5:05 PM IST

The committee, headed by a NITI Aayog member, has two months from its first meeting to recommend stronger oversight, including possible statutory measures

The push to rein in pharma marketing came directly from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, starting in 2020. On January 2, 2020, he met top drug-makers in New Delhi. Representational image

The Modi government has set up a committee to review how effectively the voluntary code aimed at preventing drug companies from influencing doctors with gifts and financial inducements is working. The government has formed a three-member committee headed by Dr M Srinivas, Member of NITI Aayog, the government’s policy think tank. The other two members are Preeti Sudan, former Union Health Secretary, and Dr Naresh Trehan, chairman and managing director (CMD) of super speciality hospital chain, Medanta.

The Department of Pharmaceuticals, under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers, has constituted the panel through an order dated October 22, 2026, seen by News18.

According to the order, titled “Constitution of a Committee to examine the regulatory framework governing pharmaceutical marketing practices“, the panel has been set up “to conduct a comprehensive examination of the effectiveness of existing frameworks governing pharmaceutical marketing practices, and to formulate appropriate recommendations for strengthening the oversight mechanisms”.

A voluntary code, in place since 2015

The order says the Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP) was introduced by the Department of Pharmaceuticals in 2015 as “a voluntary, industry-led self-regulatory mechanism to promote ethical pharmaceutical marketing practices and regulate interactions between pharmaceutical companies and healthcare professionals”.

Its central purpose, the order noted, was to ensure that promotion of pharmaceutical products is accurate, balanced and evidence-based, and “that prescribing and treatment decisions are not improperly influenced by gifts, financial inducements or other benefits”.

The Department later introduced the UCPMP 2024, “a voluntary code” that superseded the 2015 version and strengthened its implementation architecture. The order states that it is currently operative.

What must the panel look at?

The committee’s terms of reference begin with a holistic and comprehensive examination of all issues relating to unethical pharmaceutical marketing practices.

It must also examine how effective the existing mechanisms for monitoring, oversight and enforcement are in dealing with unethical pharma marketing practices, and identify the measures needed to ensure “greater transparency, accountability and effective compliance”.

The panel can also go beyond the voluntary code. It has been asked to “suggest appropriate regulatory/statutory or any other measures and legal framework for implementation of such measures as necessary”.

The committee may discuss the matter with concerned stakeholders, technical, professional and domain experts, institutions or bodies, as it considers necessary, and must consider their submissions objectively. It has also been asked to “deliberate and recommend on any other relevant issue connected with curbing unethical pharma marketing practices”.

The panel must submit its recommendations to the Department of Pharmaceuticals “within a period of two months from the date of its first meeting”, after undertaking the requisite consultative process and duly considering the material and suggestions placed before it. The order does not say when that first meeting will be held.

The pressure that led here

The push to rein in pharma marketing came directly from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, starting in 2020. On January 2, 2020, he met top drug-makers in New Delhi, including Zydus Cadila, Torrent Pharmaceuticals and Wockhardt, and discussed the issues of bribing doctors with foreign trips, gadgets and other inducements.

The move was triggered by a report from the NGO Support for Advocacy and Training to Health (SATHI), based on responses from medical representatives, the people who pitch products directly to doctors. The report said they had paid for “purchase of cars, international conferences, online shopping vouchers and even female companionship for doctors”. It also alleged that “the ethics and values which were followed in the past are getting bypassed”.

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What is the purpose of the new panel established by the government?

The newly formed three-member committee is tasked with conducting a comprehensive examination of existing pharmaceutical marketing frameworks, evaluating oversight effectiveness, and formulating recommendations to strengthen compliance and curb unethical practices.

Who are the members of the committee reviewing pharmaceutical marketing?

The panel is headed by Dr M Srinivas, Member of NITI Aayog, with former Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan and Medanta CMD Dr Naresh Trehan serving as the other two members.

When must the review panel submit its recommendations to the Department?

The committee has been directed to submit its final recommendations to the Department of Pharmaceuticals within a period of two months from the date of its first meeting.

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About the Author

Himani ChandnaSenior Associate Editor

Himani Chandna, Senior Associate Editor at CNN-News18, tracks healthcare, pharma and medical research, bringing clarity to complex science and policy.