HYDERABAD: An ongoing probe by the Andhra Pradesh Medical Council into the nexus between an Ahmedabad-based pharma company and 40 doctors from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh revealed more murky details about doctors pushing sale of drugs of half a dozen other companies in exchange of gifts.
The ethics committee of the medical council said doctors struck 'deals' with half a dozen pharmaceutical companies with a monthly pay ranging from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 4 lakh for providing monthly statistics on number of people they treated, patients with blood pressure ( BP) or diabetics they checked, etc.
In fact, the committee members were astounded when the passports of most of those who turned up during the two-day hearing revealed their extensive foreign trips to US, Australia, UAE, South Africa and Russia, sponsored by different pharma companies.
"Our premise that these doctors had links with only one Ahmedabad-based company was proved wrong when we checked the copies of agreements produced by them. They had taken bribes ranging from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 4 lakh a month from several pharma companies in the name of conducting silly studies and furnishing information," said a ethics committee member.
The member, on condition of anonymity, told TOI that many doctors, who had turned up to attend the hearing, had gone on foreign trips 4-5 times a year.
Their junkets were sponsored by different pharmaceutical companies involved in manufacture and sale of drugs related to cardiology, diabetes, pediatrics, hypertension and hormonal problems.
It is significant to note that the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002 in section 6.8.1 (d) clearly prohibits a medical practitioner from receiving benefits, in cash or kind, from any pharmaceutical company.
It reads: A medical practitioner shall not receive any cash or monetary grants from any pharmaceutical and allied healthcare industry for individual purpose in individual capacity under any pretext.
"The nefarious activities of pharmaceutical companies run so deep that it is time for the department of pharmaceuticals, Union ministry of chemical and fertilisers to come up with strict laws to control them from resorting to unethical practice of luring doctors to promote their drugs," said Dr K Ramesh Reddy, a member of MCI.
Incidentally, the ongoing probe was transferred to the State Medical Council's Ethics Committee by Medical Council of India after it received a complaint from department of pharmaceuticals, union ministry of chemical and fertilisers.
The ethics committee of the medical council said doctors struck 'deals' with half a dozen pharmaceutical companies with a monthly pay ranging from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 4 lakh for providing monthly statistics on number of people they treated, patients with blood pressure ( BP) or diabetics they checked, etc.
In fact, the committee members were astounded when the passports of most of those who turned up during the two-day hearing revealed their extensive foreign trips to US, Australia, UAE, South Africa and Russia, sponsored by different pharma companies.
"Our premise that these doctors had links with only one Ahmedabad-based company was proved wrong when we checked the copies of agreements produced by them. They had taken bribes ranging from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 4 lakh a month from several pharma companies in the name of conducting silly studies and furnishing information," said a ethics committee member.
The member, on condition of anonymity, told TOI that many doctors, who had turned up to attend the hearing, had gone on foreign trips 4-5 times a year.
Their junkets were sponsored by different pharmaceutical companies involved in manufacture and sale of drugs related to cardiology, diabetes, pediatrics, hypertension and hormonal problems.
It is significant to note that the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002 in section 6.8.1 (d) clearly prohibits a medical practitioner from receiving benefits, in cash or kind, from any pharmaceutical company.
It reads: A medical practitioner shall not receive any cash or monetary grants from any pharmaceutical and allied healthcare industry for individual purpose in individual capacity under any pretext.
"The nefarious activities of pharmaceutical companies run so deep that it is time for the department of pharmaceuticals, Union ministry of chemical and fertilisers to come up with strict laws to control them from resorting to unethical practice of luring doctors to promote their drugs," said Dr K Ramesh Reddy, a member of MCI.
Incidentally, the ongoing probe was transferred to the State Medical Council's Ethics Committee by Medical Council of India after it received a complaint from department of pharmaceuticals, union ministry of chemical and fertilisers.
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