NMC set to crack down on five-start CME events and pharm sponsorship for live surgeries 

The National Medical Commission (NMC) plans to tighten guidelines on Continuing Medical Education (CME) programs by banning live surgery broadcasts and sponsorships from pharma and device firms, aiming to curb commercial influence and protect patient ethics in medical training

Hyderabad: The days of organising lavish Continuing Medical Education (CME) programs in five-star hotels during weekends to showcase live surgical broadcasts for doctors are numbered.

In the coming months, the regulatory authorities are set to amend existing guidelines to prohibit commercial exploitation of patients and the practice of sponsorship by pharma companies to associations that represent doctors.

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At present, almost all the CME programs have live broadcasts under the pretext that they are relatively new procedures. However, the National Medical Commission (NMC) is expected to crack its whip on this practice, by amending the existing draft guidelines.

The NMC, which regulates medical education, is also likely to introduce a provision prohibiting medical devices and pharmaceutical companies from marketing their products during the live surgeries. This is aimed at curbing the influence of commercial companies involved in manufacturing medical devices and drugs.

Based on multiple reports, the regulatory body is actively considering introducing new amendments to strengthen the existing guidelines that govern CME programs.

“Associations represented by doctors do not have such deep financial pockets to hold seminars/workshops/CMEs in star hotels. Almost all such events that are organised on weekends in star hotels of Hyderabad are sponsored. Live broadcasting and discussions help young surgeons. It remains to be seen how effective the regulations will be,” a senior doctor on condition of anonymity said.

Senior doctors familiar with the developments said that the Supreme Court had recently directed the regulatory body (NMC) to take strict action on such meetings and live broadcasting.

The NMC’s Ethics and Medical Registration Board recognized that these events had frequently devolved into promotional showcases, where sponsorship overshadowed ethical training.

In fact, NMC had in July, 2025 released a comprehensive set of guidelines on this issue. “However, the ambiguous language in the guidelines had left the door open for continuing with such practices. But, in the past one month or so, our colleagues in NMC have indicated that renewed efforts are underway to amend the regulations and make them more precise,” senior doctors here said.

Highlights 

• Sponsored CME programs in 5 star hotels for doctors to be regulated

• Prohibition of live broadcast of surgeries in CMEs to be imposed

• Moves aimed at reducing commercial influence on healthcare

• Ban on pharma and sponsorship of medical devices in holding CME

• NMC aims to target marketing during live surgeries

• Regulatory bodies  aim to amend 2025 guidelines to make them more precise and efficient.