Govt issues guidelines to regulate marketing of medical devices

The government has implemented a new code of conduct for marketing medical devices to prevent unethical practices. The Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) has instructed medical device associations to prohibit overseas workshops for healthcare professionals and avoid offering them free accommodations or monetary incentives.

Associations must also establish ethics committees for marketing and upload their procedures for handling complaints to the DoP's UCPMP portal. 

"All associations should constitute an ethics committee for marketing practices in medical devices (ECMPMD), upload it on their websites along with a detailed procedure of complaints, which will be linked to the UCPMP portal of Department of Pharmaceuticals," the notification said.

Medical device companies are required to disclose details about sample distribution and conference expenses. The code prohibits promoting devices before regulatory approval and forbids using unqualified terms like "safe" or "safety." Companies cannot offer gifts or personal benefits to healthcare professionals or their families. They are also restricted from providing travel facilities, hotel stays, or monetary grants to healthcare professionals or their relatives.

The notification said, “Companies or their representatives or any person acting on their behalf should not extend travel facilities inside or outside the country to healthcare professionals or their family members for attending conferences, seminars, workshops etc.”

The DoP has mandated that medical device companies upload the Uniform Code for Marketing Practices in Medical Devices (UCMPMD) 2024 on their websites along with a clear complaint process linked to the department's UCMPMD portal. Earlier this year, the DoP had implemented a similar code for pharmaceutical marketing practices.