Supreme Court directs Union government to form committee on legally enforceable pharmaceutical marketing code
GS2Polity · Governance · IR· Health policy & public health· Prelims + Mains·
Why in news
The Supreme Court directed the Union government to form an expert committee to make the Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP), 2024, legally enforceable following a petition by the FMRAI.
Background
The Supreme Court bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta issued the direction on October 8, 2026. The petition was filed by the Federation of Medical and Sales Representatives’ Associations of India (FMRAI) regarding unethical marketing practices.
Facts for Prelims
- BodyFMRAI: Federation of Medical and Sales Representatives’ Associations of India
- FactUCPMP: Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices, 2024
- PostJustices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta: Bench of the Supreme Court
For Mains
Q. Discuss the necessity of a legally enforceable marketing code for the pharmaceutical industry to ensure ethical practices and patient safety in India.
Dimensions to cover in your answer
- Regulatory gap: Current UCPMP lacks statutory backing to penalize unethical marketing practices
- Public health risk: Influence of marketing on prescription patterns and access to essential medicines
- Institutional oversight: Need for independent monitoring bodies to audit pharmaceutical sales representatives
Keywords: Regulatory framework · Ethical marketing · Judicial activism · Public health governance · Statutory enforcement
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This note is generated automatically from SatyaDheesh's news feed and mapped to the UPSC CSE syllabus. Check facts against the original report or PIB before using them in an answer.