NMC Launches Probe Against 30 Doctors Who Accepted Pharma freebies: Report
National Medical Commission (NMC)
New Delhi: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has started its probe against 30 doctors who allegedly took pharma freebies in the form of travel and hospitality expenses from AbbVie Healthcare, Economic Times has reported.
Confirming this, a senior NMC official informed ET that the Commission has started the investigation and will take action in this regard.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) had last year received a complaint stating that the pharma company AbbVie provided travel tickets and hotel accommodations for extravagant pleasure trips under the guise of conferences (Aesthetics 86 Anti-Aging Medicine World Congress 2024), which took place from February 1 to 3, 2024, and from March 26 to 29, 2024, in Monaco and Paris, respectively, for 30 doctors connected to the medical aesthetics/anti-ageing products (Botox and Juvederm).
The total expense was reported to be Rs 1.91 crore, covering flights and hotel stays. Later, while investigating the issue, the Special Audit Committee of DoP found these allegations true.
Earlier, the DoP Committee reprimanded AbbVie Healthcare and requested that the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) evaluate M/S's tax liability. AbbVie Healthcare India Pvt Ltd along with 30 HCPs and take action in accordance with the provisions of the Income Tax Act, 1961 read with the subordinate circulars issued in this regard.
Apart from this, the Committee had also asked NMC to take action against the 30 offending doctors as per Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002.
As per the latest media report by the Economic Times, NMC has now initiated its probe against those 30 doctors. Confirming this, a senior official in NMC informed the Daily, "We are at it and will take action."
What's the Issue?
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that DoP had received the anonymous complaint back on May 21, 2024, and while investigating the allegations, the Special Audit Committee, set up by DoP, reported severe branches of UCPMP (Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices).
The Special Audit Committee found out that ‘AbbVie was in breach of UCPMP 2014 and UCPMP 2024. The total expenditure for 24 doctors travelling to Paris and 6 doctors to Monaco amounted to INR 1,91,24,991/- (One crore ninety-one lakh twenty-four thousand nine hundred ninety-one rupees only) for travel tickets and hotel accommodations in foreign locations, which was an explicit contravention of the codal provisions.’
Both the NMC Ethics Regulations 2002 and UCPMP 2014 and the newly introduced UCPMP 2024 strictly prohibit pharmaceutical companies from offering travel and hospitality to healthcare professionals and bar doctors from accepting the same.
The findings revealed that AbbVie’s spending on travel and accommodation was a direct violation of the UCPMP guidelines. Moreover, the company’s justification that these trips were intended to enhance doctors’ knowledge about products like Botox and Juvederm was deemed insufficient.
Earlier, the DoP Committee has asked NMC to take action against the 30 offending HCPs as per Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002.
MCI 2002 Regulations restrict doctors from accepting pharma freebies as per the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002.
These regulations specify that
"A medical practitioner shall not accept any travel facility inside the country or outside, including rail, air, ship , cruise tickets, paid vacations etc. from any pharmaceutical or allied healthcare industry or their representatives for self and family members for vacation or for attending conferences, seminars, workshops, CME programme etc as a delegate."
