ISLAMABAD – Favours in terms of expensive gifts, and leisure tours given to doctors and other health professionals by pharma giants is an open secret but authorities are now taking steps to deal with pharma-physician nexus.
National Institute of Health (NIH), in a recent circular, imposed ban on foreign trips of doctors and hospital staff, sponsored by pharma groups.
The circular titled ‘Visits Abroad’ said all requests of Ex-Pakistan leave forwarded to this Ministry shall be accompanied by an affidavit by the concerned officers that their foreign visits are not for attending conferences/seminars and that the visit is not sponsored by any private company/donor etc.
Furthermore, Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) also rolled out fresh code of conduct for pharma companies, and medical professionals, which has been authorized by the federal government.
The new regulations restrict medicine companies from paying for the travel expenses of doctors’ families and others.
Furthermore, doctors must obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from their institution to receive reimbursement for foreign travel expenses, as outlined in the notification.
