Shimla
A recent directive from the Himachal Pradesh government has sparked a new debate in the pharmaceutical industry and the healthcare sector. According to the order issued by the state government to the Chamayana Super Specialty Hospital,
Medical Representatives (MRs) from pharmaceutical companies are now prohibited from entering the Chamayana Super Specialty Hospital.
The government states that this step has been taken to maintain discipline and transparency in hospitals.
However, the Federation of Medical and Sales Representatives Associations of India (FMRAI), the organization representing drug representatives, has termed this decision as “illegal, unfair, and against the interests of doctors.”
⚖️ FMRAI’s strong protest
In a letter sent to the Ministry of Health, Santanu Chatterjee, General Secretary of FMRAI, stated:
“Medical representatives have been providing scientific information about new medicines to doctors for decades. Stopping them is not only against the law, but it is also an attack on labor rights and the public health system.”
The association argues that medical representatives have statutory status under the Sales Promotion Employees (Conditions of Service) Act, 1976. Therefore, preventing them from entering their workplace is tantamount to “bypassing the law.”
📜 Why scientific dialogue is essential
There are approximately 1.2 million medical representatives active in India, whose main job is to provide doctors with information about new medicines, dosages, side effects, and research findings. This work is not just about sales, but is part of pharmaceutical education and communication.
Experts say:
“If doctors do not receive up-to-date scientific information about new medicines promptly, it can affect the quality of patient treatment.”
🧪 Legal and ethical basis
The Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954
prohibit misleading advertising, but there is no restriction on sharing scientific information. The WHO Ethical Criteria for Medicinal Drug Promotion (1988) states: “It is the responsibility of pharmaceutical company representatives to provide physicians with
accurate, scientific, and factual information.”
From this perspective, if medical representatives share information ethically and transparently, it is part of public health communication.
🏛️ Government hospitals’ concerns are also valid
It has been observed in several government medical colleges that representatives of some companies contact doctors for promotional purposes. This is why several administrative units have decided to impose a complete ban. However, experts believe that a complete ban is not the solution, but rather a controlled and transparent access system may be a more practical option.
