NMC starts probe against doctors over AbbVie-sponsored foreign trips

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has begun its probe against the doctors whose foreign vacations to Monaco and Paris were sponsored by a pharma company. Last month, the department of pharma (DoP) had reprimanded multinational company AbbVie Healthcare for unethical marketing practices after an apex committee formed to investigate the case found that the company violated provisions of the Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Practices (UCPMP) by sponsoring foreign vacations to Monaco and Paris for 30 doctors.The company is under the scanner for spending over a crore on healthcare professionals, which is in contravention of the ethics code. The department had also asked the NMC to undertake action for professional misconduct by the doctors-24 went to Paris and 6 to Monaco.

A senior official in NMC told ET they have begun the probe. “We are at it and will take action,” he said.

In May 2024 the DoP had received an anonymous complaint concerning unethical marketing related to AbbVie Inc’s subsidiary AbbVie Healthcare India Private Limited alleging a breach of the UCPMP practices. The complaint outlined that AbbVie provided travel tickets and hotel accommodation for extravagant pleasure trips under the guise of conferences-Aesthetics and Anti-aging Medicine World Congress 2024, which took place from February 1-3, 2024, in Monaco and another one from March 26-29 in Paris for 30 doctors connected to the medical aesthetics and anti-ageing products (Botox and Juvederm).

The complainant also provided supporting documents like AbbVie’s internal records, expenses for each doctor’s travel, copies of flight tickets and hotel booking vouchers, said the order by DoP.The UCMP forbids pharmaceutical companies from offering travel and hospitality to any healthcare professional. The DoP sent the complaint to the ethics committee for pharma marketing practices set up by the Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI), which represents multinational pharma companies, to take appropriate action.Simultaneously, the DoP decided to conduct a special audit given the seriousness of allegations, said the order. In September a special audit committee was constituted comprising officers of DoP to examine the authenticity of the allegations.

While the OPPI did not find any “irregularities,” the conclusions drawn by the special audit committee were completely opposite.

“The results of the special audit committee validated that all facts mentioned in the complaint were accurate and AbbVie was in breach of UCPMP 2014 and 2024. The total expenditure for 24 doctors travelling to Paris and six doctors traveling to Monaco amounted to ₹1,91,24,991 for travel tickets and hotel accommodation, which was an explicit contravention of the code provisions,” the order further said.

The company was given an opportunity to represent their case before the apex committee. However, the committee did not find any justifiable reason for healthcare professionals to travel aboard.

“This arrangement seriously undermines the scope and intent of UCPMP,” it said.