ISLAMABAD: The Competition Commission of Pak­is­tan (CCP) has recommended to the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), National Council for Ho­­moeopathy (NCH) and Pakistan Electronic Media Re­gulatory Authority (Pemra) to devise guidelines regarding advertisements by medicinal and healthcare service providers in order to stop deceptive marketing practices.

The CCP gave the recommendations in its order passed in a case involving deceptive marketing practices by a homoeopathic practitioner, Mian Liaquat Ali of Liaquat Hospital, Lahore. The order was passed by a CCP bench comprising Vadiyya Khalil, the chairperson, Dr Joseph Wilson, Dr Shahzad Ansar and Ikramul Haque Qureshi.

In its order the CCP said the guidelines must mention that the advertisements should be accurate and should not contain false claims or misrepresentations of material fact; must not give rise to false or unjustified expectations; must make necessary disclosure if its absence would render the advertisement misleading; and must have a reasonable basis regarding the claims.

The CCP had initiated an inquiry against Mr Ali after receiving complaints that he was allegedly involved in deceptive marketing practices through television commercials in violation of Section 10 of the Competition Act, 2010. It contacted the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council and College of Surgeons and Physicians in this regard. The CCP inquiry revealed that in his TV commercials, Mr Ali called himself a “doctor” instead of “homoeopathic doctor”; claimed to cure diseases like hepatitis A, B and C, diabetes, obesity, dandruff, and vitiligo or phulbehri; assured guaranteed birth of son through his treatment, and also offered treatment to people via telephone.

All of his claims without having reasonable basis were in violation of section 10 of the act. Based on these findings, a show-cause notice was issued to him.

On Jan 16 CCP issued an interim order in the matter directing the homoeopathic doctor to immediately stop his deceptive TV commercial which was deceiving the public through his absolute claims.

After concluding its proceedings in the case, the CCP issued an order disposing of the show-cause notice issued to Mr Ali after he stopped airing TV commercials on all channels, submitted a satisfactory written commitment to the commission that he would comply with the statement made during the hearings and filed a compliance report as per the directions of the commission.

Published in Dawn February 14th , 2015

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