Hippocrates, the father of medicine, famously said, “He doth the best cure whom we trust.” Today, the Indian healthcare ecosystem is at a juncture where it can further amplify this critical component: Trust. To improve the nation’s health outcomes, we must strengthen trust at every level of the patient — healthcare professional (HCP)-pharma industry relationship.
UCPMP 2024 (Uniform Code of Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices) is a welcome attempt to streamline pharma promotional practices. It is definitely a step forward compared to its previous versions, namely, UCPMP 2014 and 2022. It prohibits pharma companies from offering gifts, financial benefits, travel perks, or monetary grants in any form. Additionally, it introduces a structured procedure for filing complaints and appeals to an apex body, allowing for recourse if the initial resolution is unsatisfactory.
Pharma companies
Since the entire code is for pharma companies, they have a huge responsibility. While complying with UCPMP 2024, pharma companies must further build competence to develop and promote brands that keep patients’ needs at the centre.
Essentially, the pharmaceutical market in India differs from that in the West. It is characterised predominantly by branded generics, which provides significant opportunities for Indian pharma companies to create differentiated brands that meet the varied requirements of diverse Indian patient segments. Their conditions and responses to medicine differ depending on their genotype, food habits, geography, lifestyle, co-morbidities, etc.
Two brands of the same chemical entity can be created differently to fulfil varied patient needs. Brands can differ in dose frequency, speed, duration of action, safety profile, packaging, patient services, education, and so forth. Pharma companies must take advantage of the market’s branded generic nature and create unique brands on a much larger scale. UCPMP 2024 allows ample opportunities to promote brands through communication and education.
HCPs are important players in the healthcare ecosystem, and they should view pharma companies as allies in improving patient care. This entails setting aside enough time to interact with pharma representatives. Such interactions help HCPs recognise how a pharma brand can positively impact patient outcomes through formulation, packaging, patient education, or ‘pill-plus’ patient services.
Patients are unaware of the various brands available and cannot actively inquire with doctors about how these could fit into their lives. HCPs can provide valuable feedback to pharma companies on patient needs in real-world settings. A transparent communication loop between HCPs and pharma companies is necessary to help doctors choose the right brand for their patients.
UCPMP 2024 is an essential and welcome step. Executing it with exacting precision is imperative. It is critical that HCP-pharma interactions not only continue but also thrive for the betterment of patients. Policymakers must create a conducive environment to facilitate such interactions.
Medical knowledge doubles every 73 days. It is humanly impossible for any medical professional to stay abreast of the huge developments that keep happening each day. The new code lays out guidelines for conducting continuous medical education (CME). Pharma companies must conduct regular CME at medical colleges, universities to disseminate knowledge and encourage discussions amongst HCPs.
Policymakers should look at such interactions positively and encourage them. Samples, brand reminders, patient education material, and pill-plus services are critical for the pharma promotional ecosystem.
Continuous and open dialogue among policymakers, pharmaceutical firms, healthcare providers, and patient groups is key to fostering a climate of trust.
The writer is Co-founder, Brand Innerworld