India Pharma Outlook Team | Thursday, 04 September 2025
As part of the uniform code for marketing practices, manufacturers of medical devices are allowed to give doctors free evaluation samples so they can get firsthand experience using the product.
However, the samples must be valued per unit and their value must match the price charged to the stockist or immediate customer per unit for the same make, brand, product variant, and value of the medical device.
The monetary value of free evaluation samples should be calculated using the purchase price if the company bought the samples from another source.
The average price paid for the purchase of a medical equipment of the same make, brand, product variant, and value on an annual basis, or the average price charged to the stockist or immediate client, should be used to record the cost of such free samples.
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A year after notifying the medical device for healthcare industry that the Uniform Marketing Code will be adopted, the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) streamlined the reporting process to determine the value of free assessment samples sent to medical practitioners.
Additionally, the DoP has mandated that the CEO of the organization be in charge of upholding the code. According to the circular, "the executive head of the firm must submit the disclosure of marketing spending within two months after the end of each fiscal year or upload it to the website of the Association of which the company is a member."
