The Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), on April 30, 2026, issued amendments to the Uniform Code for Marketing Practices in Medical Devices 2024 (UCMPMD) to streamline compliance requirements relating to foreign training of healthcare professionals (HCPs). The revised provisions remove the requirement for prior approval from the Department of Pharmaceuticals or any other authority for foreign training programmes, while mandating that medical device companies disclose programme details, participant information, justification, and estimated expenditure to their respective industry associations at least one month in advance for public disclosure.
The amended circular also revises clauses relating to travel and hospitality benefits extended to healthcare professionals. Under the updated provisions, companies are prohibited from providing travel facilities or hospitality to healthcare professionals and their family members for conferences, seminars, or workshops, except where the healthcare professional is participating as a speaker in Continuing Medical Education (CME)/Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programmes or as a participant in a training programme. The circular further clarifies that where any aspect is not specifically covered, the provisions of the National Medical Commission Registered Medical Practitioner (Professional Conduct) Regulations, 2023 shall prevail.
Additionally, the Department directed industry associations to upload the revised UCMPMD on their official portals and inform their members regarding compliance obligations under the amended code. The amendments have been issued in partial modification of earlier communications and Circular No. 3 of 2025 to reduce compliance burden while ensuring transparency and adherence to ethical marketing standards in the medical devices sector.
[Circular No. 1 of 2026]
