North India Statesman
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New Delhi : Medical device manufacturing companies will no longer be able to send doctors abroad for travel. The government has notified rules for the medical device sector. The government has taken this step to curb unethical conduct. In fact, many medical device manufacturing companies organize workshops abroad for doctors and arrange for their food and accommodation. Not only this, they also bear the cost of travel there. This also benefits them financially. In return, these companies also charge profits from doctors. Physicians prescribe or recommend devices of a cost-sharing company to patients. Companies charge a huge amount for these devices and ultimately the burden falls on the patient and his family. In a notification, the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DOP) has asked the Medical Device Association (MDE) to stop organizing workshops, hotel stays or financial grants for healthcare professionals abroad. It states that all associations should form an Ethics Committee for Marketing of Medical Devices (ECMPMD). The complaints should be uploaded on their websites, which will be linked to the UCPMP portal of the Department of Pharmaceuticals. The DoP has also sought details from medical device firms on expenditure incurred on distribution of medical device samples, conferences, workshops, seminars, etc.
The notification states that no medical device should be promoted before the product has been approved by the regulatory authority. It states that the word safe or security should not be used without qualification and it should not be explicitly claimed that a medical device has no adverse consequences. Also, no gift should be given to any doctor or his family member for personal gain by any medical device company or its agent. It states that companies or their representatives or any person acting on their behalf should not facilitate travel of doctors or their family members within or outside the country to attend conferences, seminars or workshops, etc.
