New stipulations for dealing with pharmaceutical and allied health sectors

The Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations (1) was recently amended regarding the relationship between doctors and professional associations of doctors and the pharmaceutical and allied health sector industry. Many of these amendments are not practical. For example, how many readers of this journal have not accepted a single gift from pharmaceutical companies? All of us accept at least a ball point pen. Likewise, very few of us have attended conferences and continuing medical education programmes spending money from our own pockets. Pharmaceutical companies will continue the same practices but unofficially. And many senior physicians will continue to accept sponsored holidays.

Still, the Medical Council of India’s amendments are a step forward in an era in which medical ethics has low priority for the medical profession, and the initiative needs to be applauded. But it is up to physicians to adopt these practices, remembering the Hippocratic Oath that we took on completion of our professional degree. The satisfaction we will derive if we follow the code of medical ethics has no substitute. Most importantly, the image of doctors in today’s world will improve, along with the return of the patient-doctor relationship. My request to all members of our profession is to follow the code of conduct in your personal lives.

Always remember: the patient comes first.