Drug, device makers should follow market entry pricing for marketing samples: Govt
New Delhi: Under the mandatory marketing discourses, drug and medical device makers in India are required to follow market entry pricing for free samples distributed by them among healthcare professionals as part of promotional efforts.
In a clarification note over the Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP) rules, the Department of Pharmaceuticals specified that,
“under the disclosure of marketing expenditure, the value of free evaluation samples distributed to healthcare professionals, should be valued on the same price charged to the stockist or immediate customer on per unit basis.”
“In case the company has purchased such samples from another supplier, such samples monetary value can also be valued with the annual average price paid to purchase the same dosage medicines/identical device variant,” it added.
The mandatory disclosure is required to be submitted within two months of the end of every financial year and the CEO will be held for adherence to this Code.
Additionally in its circular, the nodal body also outlined that,
“companies can make their disclosures on the website of a Association of which the entity is a member and is no longer required to share the details on the UCPMP portal of the Department of Pharmaceuticals.”
