 "Pharma companies make a pitch for innovation")
Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI) will make recommendations to the government to boost innovation in pharma sector and improve healthcare access. Recommendations could include policy reforms and incentives to promote innovation.
"We want to push innovation and hope to share with the government measures which can create a favourable environment for innovation," OPPI director general Ranjana Smetacek said today. A study is being carried out to identify measures and will be submitted to the government shortly, she added.
Innovation along with health care access and improving quality standards have been among the focus areas of OPPI which celebrated its 50th anniversary in Mumbai today. OPPI represents multinational drug firms and is keen proponent of intellectual property rights (IPR) protection in India.
OPPI has also been pushing for a mandatory uniform code of pharmaceutical practices which will ban drug firms from doling out gifts and organising trips for doctors. At present the code is voluntary.
"We recognise that the code has to be mandatory but before it is implemented that we want certain queries to be addressed," Smetacek said. Discussions are on with other pharmaceutical associations to submit common representation to government on the issue.