India Lacks Transparency Laws in Healthcare Industry Dealings

Bangalore: A development towards bringing enormous transparency in communication between the healthcare industry and healthcare providers which include doctors, is spreading worldwide as France has been the most recent country to adopt a law to make revelation of relation between healthcare professionals and manufacturers, reported Rema Nagarajan for TOI.

In the last week of May, The French law was brought into force for intensifying health protection for medical and health products. It also lays down any confidential obligations related with the Healthcare Professionals (HCPs) and the organization.

This law which is similar with the U.S. Physician Payment sunshine Act will provide a free public website with the entire announcement to be maintained by a public authority.

Various other nations are gearing up their laws of transparency on the payments between the healthcare companies and doctors. But India still continues to be lawless when it comes to controlling companies that provides physicians with free gifts.

Exposure under the French law will consist of all deals such as R&D deals, deals for clinical trials or observational studies, consultancy agreements for being spokespersons or on advisory committees and invitations to scientific or medical affairs for which the costs such as registration fees, travel costs, meals and accommodation expenses will be borne by the company.

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