Life-saving products: CCP warns pharma cos against deceptive marketing practices

ISLAMABAD: The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has cautioned that pharmaceutical companies must resort to marketing practices, which are transparent and give customers true and correct information about life-saving medical products.

This has been stated in the inquiry report issued by the CCP in the matter of a complaint filed by one pharmaceutical company against another for committing deceptive marketing practices.

The CCP found that the life-saving product for dialysis of kidney failure patients is sold to the consumers through tendering at the government hospital as well as distribution to privately-owned dialysis centers through display of fake certificates.

It has been alleged that a medical device company has obtained a fake quality management system certificate to compete with another company in the market for selling of the life-saving product for dialysis of kidney failure patients.

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The company is found to be involved in disseminating false and misleading information to the consumers.

The company has also presented false and unauthorised certificates, the CCP added.

Taking action against a pharmaceutical company, the CCP declared that to ensure free and fair competition in the market, undertakings should be stopped from marketing their products in deceptive and misleading manner.

The undertakings should be encouraged to resort to the marketing practices that are transparent and give customers and consumers true and correct information.

Therefore, the commission may initiate proceeding against the second company under Section 30 of the Competition Act for violation of Section 10 of the Act.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021