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New Indian Express
a day ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
Medical representatives banned from visiting doctors in central government hospitals
NEW DELHI: The centre has directed central government hospitals, including Safdarjung and Dr RML Hospitals, to not allow medical representatives inside the hospital premises. This is not the first time the centre has issued such a stern message barring pharma companies' from influencing doctors'. In an order issued on May 28, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Dr Sunita Sharma, said, 'This is in reference to the earlier instructions regarding not permitting entry of medical representatives in hospital premises. In this regard, it is once again instructed that the medical representatives should not be permitted in the hospital premises. The head of the institutions shall give necessary strict directions in the matter to all officials,' said the order, which was marked to Medical Superintendents of Safdarjung Hospital and Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, and Directors of Lady Hardinge Medical College and Associated Hospitals and Rural Health Training Centre, Najafgarh. 'Medical representatives may be requested to share recent advances regarding any treatment/investigation/procedure by email or other digital media,' the notice clarified. 'It is requested to take necessary action in the matter and an action taken report may be furnished to this Directorate,' the order further added. Reacting to the order, RTI activist and ophthalmologist, Dr K V Babu said, 'Though I support not allowing medical representatives during working hours, blanket ban on entry is not a welcome decision." Dr Babu highlighted the issue of 30 doctors, who travelled to foreign countries, with the funding of a pharma company to the tune of Rs. 1.9 crore. He said he had filed an RTI on the issue. The DoP in its order, dated December 23, told him that they will share the details of the doctors. But, he said, "they are still sitting over it even after five months. No action against the pharma company was also taken despite the UCPMP code being in place.' The Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) last year notified a new code that prohibits pharma companies from offering gifts and travel facilities to healthcare professionals or their family members. The Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP) 2024 also bans supply of free samples to those who are not qualified to prescribe such a product. However, the Alliance of Doctors for Ethical Healthcare (ADEH) has been demanding that the UCPMP be made mandatory to bring fairness in marketing of the drugs as the industry has failed to comply with the code on a voluntary basis.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
DOP Pratik Shah kicked out of Sourav Ganguly biopic amid allegations of sexual misconduct: Report
Cinematographer Pratik Shah, accused of inappropriate behaviour towards women, has reportedly been kicked out of the biopic of former cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly. As per Hollywood Reporter India, the film's team has 'discontinued their association' with him. According to the report, Pratik was preparing for the film. (Also Read | Neeraj Ghaywan thanks Homebound team after Cannes premiere, leaves out DoP Pratik Shah amid abuse allegations) Quoting a source, the report said, "The recce was on till recently, and Shah was in London for the same. Allegations against him surfaced just around the time he returned to India. The makers have dropped him from the project and will now naturally look for a replacement before beginning production." Reportedly, the film will be directed by Vikramaditya Motwane. Pratik and Vikramaditya previously worked together in CTRL and web series Jubilee. Actor Rajkummar Rao will headline the biopic. Accusations against Pratik surfaced on social media when Abhinav Singh, a filmmaker known for directing short films, recently accused him of abuse, calling him 'highly manipulative' and 'emotionally abusive' in a post on Instagram. He initially did not name Pratik but urged his female followers to be careful around a cinematographer. In a subsequent post, the filmmaker claimed he received numerous messages from women detailing their experiences, and that's when he named Pratik. Pratik also worked as the cinematographer for Dharma Productions' Homebound. After the allegations emerged, the production house released an official statement. Dharma Productions responded, clarifying that no formal complaints were made against Pratik during the production of the film. Homebound which made history as the only Indian film to be featured at this year's Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section, has garnered significant international attention. The film, produced by Karan Johar, Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta, and Somen Mishra, received a stellar reception at Cannes, with a standing ovation. The film stars an ensemble cast, including Ishaan Khatter, Janhvi Kapoor, and Vishal Jethwa.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Medical representatives banned from visiting doctors in govt hospitals
New Delhi: Medical representatives will no longer be allowed to meet doctors directly in central government hospitals , as the Centre has ordered banning their entry in hospital premises, with an eye on putting an end to unethical doctor-pharma nexus . The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has asked government-run hospitals to not allow medical representatives into hospitals; instead, it has said that if they want to share advances regarding any treatment, they can do it over an email or other digital media. In an order dated May 28, the DGHS has instructed the head of institutions to give "strict instructions" in the matter to all officials and ensure strict compliance of the order. "It is requested to take necessary action in the matter and an action taken report may be furnished to this directorate," Sunita Sharma, director general of health service, stated in the order. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like How much do dental implants cost in 2025 (check prices) Dental Implants | Search Ads Search Now Undo The move aims to prevent disruptions and prohibits attempts to influence doctors by gifts or samples, people in the know told ET. "Direct interactions between pharmaceutical representatives and doctors can compromise patient care . The government has, therefore, asked hospital heads to stipulate that any information on a new launch should be communicated via an email," said one person. It is also believed that patients are left untreated as a majority of doctors' time is consumed by medical representatives who visit them to promote products. Live Events "The pharma-doctor nexus is very well known. Government hospitals mostly cater to poor patients who come to these hospitals from far-flung areas. We don't want the time that the doctor should give a poor patient is consumed by a medical representative for his company's benefit," according to one government official. Last year, the department of pharmaceuticals (DoP) notified the new Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP), aimed at keeping unethical Practices in check. The UCPMP established a framework for communication claims, educational activities, samples and other market initiatives. It laid down what activities are permissible and outlined a complaint procedure involving both industry associations and the DoP. Pharma companies were earlier asked to explain why they need to offer gifts and free medicines as samples to doctors to promote their products, as part of a government's move to review the regulatory framework on marketing practices in the sector.
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Neeraj Ghaywan thanks Homebound team after Cannes premiere, leaves out DoP Pratik Shah amid abuse allegations
Homebound cinematographer Pratik Shah found himself in a controversy after he was accused of abuse and inappropriate conduct. He deleted his Instagram account shortly after. Now the film's director Neeraj Ghaywan has posted a note of gratitude for the people involved in the making of the film, but left out any mention of Pratik Shah. (Also read: Dharma Productions addresses abuse allegations against Homebound DoP: 'Our internal committee didn't receive complaints') Homebound had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival last month in the Un Certain Regard section. However, it did not win an award there. On Monday, taking to his X account, Neeraj wrote: 'Now that the whirlwind that was Cannes is over, I'd like to acknowledge the contributions of people associated with our film #Homebound.' He added, "Starting off with the writing process. It all began with the article 'Taking Amrit Home" that @BasharatPeer wrote for the New York Times. After introducing me to it, @somenmishra0 (Producer) pitched the idea of me directing the film to Basharat and he was excited by the prospect. Something inside of me cried out to make the story come to life as I read it. I travelled with Basharat to meet the families featured in the article. I was even more sure I wanted to pursue this story after meeting them. It made me reflect on my own life and I seeded that in the story. Basharat, without your article and your guidance, the Homebound journey would never have begun. I'm grateful to you!" He went on to thank story and screenplay consultant Sumit Roy, dialogue-writer Varun Grover, dialect coach Shreedhar Dubey, the development team at Dharma Productions, DA and Script Supervisor Ibad Shaikh, co-producer Melita Toscan Du Plantier, and editor Nitin Baid. 'I forgot to add that I also wrote the Screenplay of Homebound. That was by myself,' he ended the tweet thread, which had no mention of cinematographer Pratik Shah. Meanwhile, Dharma Productions addressed the matter in an official statement, 'Mr. Pratik Shah was a freelancer on the project Homebound and was working on it for a limited period. His engagement with us has been completed. During this limited period, our internal committee for POSH didn't receive any complaints against him from any cast or crew on our film Homebound.' Neeraj is yet to make a comment on the allegations of abuse and misconduct which were directed at Pratik Shah. Homebound stars Ishaan Khatter, Janhvi Kapoor and Vishal Jethwa. The film's team were present at the Cannes screening where the film received a 9-minute-long standing ovation. It is executive produced by Martin Scorsese.
Mint
3 days ago
- Business
- Mint
India seeks financial details of pharmaceutical marketing practices, industry caught in a bind
The Centre has asked pharma companies for details of expenditure on marketing in the last one year, putting the industry in a bind. The details sought by the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) has to be submitted by 31 July, failing which action will be taken against pharmaceutical Union government is keeping a close watch on the marketing practice of pharmaceutical companies amid reports of these companies continuing to offer a range of freebies to doctors, despite the Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP) being implemented to check unethical marketing practices. Also read: Low vaccine stocks in focus as new covid variants spread A communication, dated 29 May, has been issued by the government to all the pharmaceutical associations to fulfil the compliance as per the targeted deadline. 'The department of pharmaceuticals (DoP) has directed for the submission of the self-declaration and disclosure of marketing expenditure under the Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP) 2024. The timeline for submissions pertaining to the financial year 2024–25 is now 31st July 2025," said Daara Patel, secretary general at the Indian Drugs Manufacturers Association (IDMA). The self-declaration is a legal undertaking to be filed by company bosses to assure the government that they are not indulging in any unethical marketing practices to promote their products. Also read: India puts big pharma concessions on table as US trade deal nears finish line Patel said that the implementation of the UCPMP guidelines has created a sense of caution and transparency in the marketing practice of the companies which is good for the industry. Sudarshan Jain, secretary general of the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance said, 'It is for the first time that such a massive compliance is being done by the pharma companies. The data has to be uploaded on the dedicated portal of the government to make it a standardized practice for the companies for further point of view." 'Our member companies are ready to update the financial details of the pharmaceutical marketing to the government," the industry executive said. The UCPMP was introduced in March last year with an objective to bring about transparency and ensure ethical conduct in the marketing practices of pharmaceutical companies and restrict them from offering freebies such as gifts, travel, hospitality and monetary benefits to doctors for prescribing a particular medicine. According to government data, India is home to approx. 3,000 drug making companies and 10,500 manufacturing units. The industry is projected to reach a value of $130 billion by 2030. Queries sent to the department of pharmaceutical spokesperson remained unanswered till press time. Also read: Govt alert: common antibiotic treatment may be 'life threatening' This entire exercise is being done in the backdrop of the Micro Labs controversy: the makers of Dolo650 mg allegedly offered freebies to doctors during the pandemic to prescribe the anti-fever medicine. Last year in December, DoP, accused Abbvie Healthcare India Pvt. Ltd of breaching the guidelines of the UCPMP by allegedly sponsoring vacations for 30 medical professionals to Monaco and Paris. The company could not be contacted for comment.
