Doctors - say "no" to gifts!
Did you know that the life of doctors around India changed a bit from 1st Jan 2015? Starting this New Year, as per the new code of conduct chartered by the Govt, doctors can longer accept freebies, gifts from pharma companies to boost their sales. Doctors get loads of gifts in the form of expensive pens, watches, even cash, flats, cars, holiday for the family, medical samples, medical grants even, which are basically a lure, urging the doctors to push their products to the patients. We all have experienced this at one time or the other. And every time, the doctor pushes a new drug at you, you cannot help but firstly question his integrity and secondly, wonder whether you are being treated as a guinea pig.
Thankfully, at least as per rules, this dole out by pharma companies has ‘officially’ come to an end. This rule has come into effect the Medical Council of India (MCI) recently summoned 326 doctors, including ten from Maharashtra, accused of accepting inducements – cash, flats, junkets, cars, etc. – from some pharma firms to prescribe their medicines. The sad part here is that this rule, prohibiting doctors from accepting gifts from pharma companies exists from 2009 and yet, the practice continued. So what is the guarantee now that a new Code of Conduct will prevent this from happening?
Well, the Govt has said that it will monitor the conduct of the industry for six months. In case they fail to comply its guidelines in letter and spirit, it will enforce the norms and make them mandatory.