TOP 5 HEALTH LAWS AND POLICY UPDATES

Dear Readers, we are happy to share the most interesting legal and policy updates concerning health industry that we read today. We hope you enjoy reading it.

1. Application process for (1) Manufacture/ import a New Drug/ formulation, or conduct clinical trial, (2) Manufacture/ import of new bulk drug substance, and (3) Import of finished formulation of a new drug will henceforth exclusively take place online on the SUGAM portal, and processing of offline application has been retroactively paused from 16th August 2024.
Source: bit.ly/3z9EX92

2. All registered Doctors are required to re-register their MBBS qualifications on the newly operationalized National Medical Register Portal and shall be provided a Unique Identification Number.
Source: bit.ly/3TyGpsl
Source: bit.ly/3zy4PLE

3. The central drugs regulator of India, the Drugs Controller General of India has issued a revised Guidelines and checklists for Zonal, Sub-Zonal and Port-officers of the State Drug Authorities providing updated policy on how to conduct their duties.
Source: bit.ly/3TuM2b3

4. The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission has clarified that in the event of a conflict of interpretation between the newly released digital version of the Indian Pharmacopoeia 2022, and the print version the print version shall win out.
Source: bit.ly/4gqZ2IA

5. In addition to requiring audio-visual warnings during presentation of films, the Central government will require all online curated content publishers to display a non-skippable anti-tobacco audio-visual advertisement, as well as place a static message for the duration of display of use of tobacco and tobacco products in the curated content. This requirement shall be effective form March 2025.
Source: bit.ly/3XMqTvq

TOP 5 HEALTH LAWS AND POLICY UPDATES

Dear Readers, we are happy to share the most interesting legal and policy updates concerning health industry that we read today. We hope you enjoy reading it.

1. India’s central drug regulator (CDSCO) has released draft guidelines on Good Clinical Practices Rules to align India’s clinical trial rules with international standards. The draft is open for comments by October 12, 2024.
Source: https://bit.ly/3XpPdSr

2. India’s premier consumer forum ordered a major medical device manufacturer to pay compensation to one of the claimants who had suffered adverse reactions as a result of faults in the surgical-implants which they had received from it.
Source: https://bit.ly/3ztLCe5

3. India’s statutory body regulating medical education, National Medical Commission (NMC) has issued revised guidelines removing sodomy and lesbianism from the category of unnatural sexual offences from its curriculum of medical education.
Source: https://bit.ly/3Xr5Kp7

4. India’s union health ministry has expanded the health insurance scheme under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) to cover citizens aged 70 years and above, regardless of their income. The ministry will issue new, unique cards to senior citizens for the availment of the benefit.
Source: https://bit.ly/3XsD2nQ

5. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid. The hearing aid will be integrated into the hearing device of a giant electronic brand through software updates allowing the device to function as personalised hearing aid. The feature is aimed at helping users with their perceived mild-to-moderate hearing impairment.
Source: https://bit.ly/4e2LEsn

 

TOP 5 HEALTH LAWS AND POLICY UPDATES

Dear Readers, we are happy to share the most interesting legal and policy updates concerning health industry that we read today. We hope you enjoy reading it.

1. The Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) released the Uniform Code for Marketing Practices in Medical Devices (UCMPMD) providing guidelines to medical device companies for regulating monetary and non-monetary incentives given to Healthcare Professional (HCPs) for eliminating unethical conduct while organising promotional and training programs for such HCPs. The UCMPMD also sets guidelines for establishment of an ethics committee and entering of complaints on the UCMPMD portal set by the DoP.
Source: bit.ly/3AWUnOm

2. The pharmaceutical company that launched eye drops claiming that they can eliminate near-sightedness in 15 minutes has clarified that its claims were based on approved indications for treatment and Phase 3 clinical trial data and are not unethical or false.
Source: bit.ly/3z0wSn3

3. The Bombay High Court has granted an interim injunction to a Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) company manufacturing health drinks against another FMCG company manufacturing fibre-nutritional drinks for circulating advertisements on WhatsApp groups that allegedly denigrated and disparaged the latter’s products.
Source: bit.ly/3APlUkz

4. The National Medical Commission (NMC) has withdrawn its previously issued public notice for the discontinuation of all courses offered by the College of Physicians & Surgeons (CPS), Mumbai as it was earlier regarded as being beyond the powers of the college to provide conduct examinations and award degrees. However, the earlier notification now stands withdrawn.
Source: bit.ly/3Zisquh

5. The US Court has held that expert testimony is a requirement in all medical negligence cases, and it is not enough for the claimant to establish that the doctor had not communicated the box-label warning to the patient or patient’s family, especially in cases where the patient’s claim was based on the absence of informed consent.
Source: bit.ly/3Zo6HkC

TOP 5 HEALTH LAWS AND POLICY UPDATES

Dear Readers, we are happy to share the most interesting legal and policy updates concerning health industry that we read today. We hope you enjoy reading it.

1. All medical practitioners (doctors) who practice modern medicine will have to mandatorily register on the new National Medical Register established by the National Medical Commission.
Source: bit.ly/3YYlPoE

2. The Indian Government is reportedly considering to ban 34 multivitamin drugs.
Source: bit.ly/4e0490u

3. The Indian Government is planning to publish a new policy for promoting bio-technology sector called BioE3 (Biotechnology for Economy, Environment and Employment) Policy.
Source: bit.ly/3MiPNfw

4. A leading e-commerce giant has set up rest areas facility for its delivery partners in India. The rest area will have facilities like air conditioning, seating areas, drinking water, and mobile charging stations as a measure to provide them better working conditions.
Source: bit.ly/3MkPYHl

5. Amid rising cases of mpox globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reportedly relaxed the rules for its health partners to hold commercial discussions on mpox vaccines. It has also declared that partners like GAVI and UNICEF can begin purchasing mpox vaccines before WHO approves them.
Source:  bit.ly/3Z0RWV0

TOP 5 HEALTH LAWS AND POLICY UPDATES

Dear Reader, we are happy to share the most interesting legal and policy updates concerning health industry that we read today. We hope you enjoy reading it.

1. A national association of medical professionals, the Indian Medical Association has declared a 24-hour nationwide withdrawal of non-emergency services from 6 a.m. on 17th August, 2024 to protest against the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the state-run hospital in Kolkata. Essential services will be continued, but outpatient departments and elective surgeries will be halted. The withdrawal will operate across all sectors wherever modern medicine doctors are providing services.
Source: https://bit.ly/3YYu5oC

2. Under the direction of the Union Health Ministry, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has advised all medical colleges and institutions to create a policy that will ensure that all staff members, including faculty, medical students, and resident physicians, have a safe place to work on campus. Adequate safety precautions in the OPD, wards, casualties, hostels, and other open spaces on campus and in the residential quarters should be guaranteed by the policy.
Source: bit.ly/3YTA0eY

3. The National Green Tribunal has set aside a pharmaceutical company’s environmental clearance to expand its facility on grounds that even though it has an effluent treatment plant, the absence of pharmaceutical waste in treated waste water cannot be ruled out. The said pharmaceutical company was going to let out treated waste water into the sea and this may harm neighbouring aqua farms and have an adverse effect on human health when such aquatic food is consumed.
Source: bit.ly/3SVOneF

4. India’s anti-trust regulator, the Competition Commission of India (CCI), has dismissed a complaint alleging cartelisation by 29 pharmaceutical companies to manipulate government tenders for procurement of medicines on grounds that the compliant was vague and did not disclose sufficient details.
Source: bit.ly/3SXLPgl

5. The US government has announced first set of price cuts to popular prescription drugs which are part of  the government’s Medicare programme. The revised prices of the drugs, which include widely used blood thinners and arthritis medications, will take effect from 2026.
Source: bit.ly/3AFf94I

TOP 5 HEALTH LAWS AND POLICY UPDATES

Dear Reader, we are happy to share the most interesting legal and policy updates concerning health industry that we read today. We hope you enjoy reading it.

1. In its recent annual Budget announcement, the central government has proposed to waive customs tariffs on three additional drugs, used in treatment of cancer.
Source: bit.ly/4dinoSC

2. The Bombay High Court held a Director of a chemical manufacturer criminally liable for export of controlled substances from the country, holding that all officers of companies should keep themselves abreast of the latest regulations, and being ignorant of new notified compliance cannot excuse liability.
Source: bit.ly/46iRp22

3. The Madras High Court stayed a suspension order issued against a branch of a major fast food chain, holding that suspension cannot be ordered without giving an opportunity to improve its practices in pursuance of an Improvement Notice issued under Sec. 32(1) of the Food Safety Standards Act, 2006.
Source: bit.ly/3LFGne4

4. The Ethics and Medical Registration Board of the National Medical Commission of India, the country’s premier regulator of the medical profession has recently issued a decision proposing to expand the scope of qualified Doctors that may now be permitted to undertake spinal surgery. While previously only neurology specialists were permitted to operate on the spine, orthopedic specialists may also undertake the same with existing qualifications.
Source: bit.ly/46s1oCn

5. An appeals courts of the United States has rejected the petition of several US states against the reclassification of contraceptive medication, holding that no grounds were established to prove actual harm suffered by the State governments. as claimed.
Source: bit.ly/3zZpdFC

TOP 5 HEALTH LAWS AND POLICY UPDATES

Dear Reader, We are happy to share the most interesting legal and policy updates concerning health industry that we read today. We hope you enjoy reading it.

Major Indian Ayurvedic Medicine Manufacturer to be tried for Contempt of Court for publishing misleading drug advertisements
India’s Supreme Court is reportedly set to issue a Contempt Notice to a major Ayurvedic medicines manufacturer in India after it found out that the manufacturer had published a misleading advertisement claiming permanent relief for certain chronic conditions such as Diabetes and Liver Cirrhosis. In November 2023, the manufacturer had given an undertaking to the Supreme Court that it will not publish misleading advertisements or disparage allopathy. The Supreme Court has also questioned the Indian government for its inaction over publication of misleading advertisements by the manufacturer despite existence of a law which makes publication of misleading advertisement punishable with imprisonment.
Source: bit.ly/42U33yI

Doctors will have to obtain registration with State Medical Council of every State where they practice: Delhi HC
The High Court of Delhi has upheld the legality of a notice issued by Delhi Medical Council which made it mandatory for Doctors to register with the Council if they wanted to practice in the State of Delhi. The Doctors argued that it was an onerous requirement which would require them to register in every State they practice in. However, the Court held that the intent of the law is to require Doctors to register in every State that they practice in, and that Doctors have the option to register with multiple State Medical Councils in India.
Source: bit.ly/3TgHANw

Cosmetic Importers asked to provide sales details in a bid to curb import of counterfeit cosmetics
In an effort to curb the import of counterfeit cosmetic products, India’s Central Cosmetics Regulator, Drugs Controller General of India, has directed importers of cosmetics who import cosmetics already registered by authorized importers, to furnish annual sales details such as number of consignments, imported quantity, total cost of imported cosmetics of each consignment, along with warehouse details.
Source: bit.ly/42T2IMR

Central Government has to fix ceiling prices of medical treatment within 2 months: Supreme Court
The Supreme Court has directed the Central Government publish ceiling prices for medical treatments offered by Hospitals all over the country within 2 months. If the Central Government fails to do so, the Supreme Court has said that it will direct Central Government to fix medical treatment costs stipulated under Central Government Health Scheme as ceiling price of medical treatment offered by Hospitals for the whole country.
Source: bit.ly/3wsyHHs

India Seeks to delay implementation of EU Carbon Emissions Limits
India is set to conduct negotiation with the European Union regarding the implementation of the Carbon Control Regime, seeking a complete elimination of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, failing which India will seek an extension of timelines for reduction of emissions. It is expected that in order to comply with requirements under EU Carbon Control Regime, Indian exporters will have to make significant capital investment will increase cost of production.
Source: bit.ly/42S7DxH