Pharma needs a dose of regulation

Code for pharmaceutical marketing must be implemented

The recent income tax raids on Bengaluru-based Micro Labs, makers of an over-the-counter paracetamol tablet widely used in the treatment of Covid-19, have re-focused attention on the code of conduct governing ethical practices for pharmaceutical companies and medical practitioners. Apart from tax evasion, Micro Labs has been accused of paying doctors Rs 1,000 crore as bribe to prescribe Dolo-650 for Covid-19 patients, registering sales that were significantly higher than those of competing products in the market. The company has denied the charge and said that the promotion cost of  Rs 1,000 crore was for all its drugs over several years,