The idea that the Western world is somehow more ‘advanced’ when it comes to issues of medical ethics and professionalism has been completely destroyed by the news that the Indian Medical Council will be introducing sweeping reforms of the rules governing industry relations. So how binding are these new regulations? A swift glance at the [1] abstract, conveniently discussed here by Howard Brody on his brilliant ‘Hooked’ blog, shows just how major these changes are:

• No more gifts. Full stop. No specification on the price of gifts, meaning even gifts as small as pens and post-it notes are covered. To those who think this might be overkill, I suggest you read about the fascinating topic of [2] Cognitive Dissonance. (I know, it’s a Wikipedia article, but it’s a really good introduction to the topic.)
• No more grants. Full stop. It doesn’t matter what they’re being paid for, Indian doctors will no longer be allowed to receive money from the pharmaceutical industry.  Funding for medical research must be approved by the necessary institutions, and information on these transactions will be in the public domain.
• No drug endorsements. This has been in effect since 2002.
• Violation of any of these rules will be treated as ‘Misconduct’, which means they can be punishable with penalties and possible suspension.

All in all, this is a huge step in ensuring public trust in the medical profession in India is retained.

Thanks, India, for showing the rest of the world that it is possible to stand up to the self-serving logic that has perpetuated these unethical practices for so long. It’s time the Western World stood up and noticed.