Pharma Marketing Review Committee under Dr M. Srinivas set up
Why in the news
On 23 October 2026, the Department of Pharmaceuticals under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers formed a committee to review pharmaceutical marketing practices. Its task is to propose stronger safeguards against unethical promotion of medicines.
Key facts
- Chairperson: Dr M. Srinivas, Member, NITI Aayog.
- Members: Preeti Sudan, former Union Health Secretary, and Dr Naresh Trehan, CMD of Medanta.
- Deadline: recommendations are due within two months of the first meeting, after stakeholder consultations.
- It will review how well current monitoring, oversight and enforcement work, and look for ways to improve transparency and accountability.
- It may suggest regulatory, statutory or other legal frameworks for enforcement.
- It will consult domain experts, institutions and other stakeholders.
| Code | Nature |
|---|---|
| UCPMP 2015 | Voluntary, industry-led self-regulation |
| UCPMP 2024 | Replaced the 2015 code with stronger implementation; currently in operation |
About UCPMP
The Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices governs how drug companies deal with healthcare professionals and aims to keep marketing ethical. It started in 2015 as a voluntary mechanism. The Department of Pharmaceuticals then introduced UCPMP 2024, which replaced the earlier code and tightened its implementation framework.
Exam angle
- Ministry: Chemicals and Fertilizers. Department: Pharmaceuticals.
- Chair: Dr M. Srinivas of NITI Aayog. Time limit: two months from the first meeting.
- UCPMP 2024 is the code currently in force, and it replaced the voluntary 2015 code.