Not revealing the funding source and the amount of a clinical trial conducted by a doctor is professional misconduct and disciplinary action can be taken against him/her.

Section 6.8.1 (e) of the (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002, outlines the guidelines for doctors pertaining to conducting medical research. While it allows a medical practitioner to carry out or participate in research projects funded by pharmaceutical and allied healthcare industries, it also stipulates that the doctor undertaking the research should publicly disclose the source and amount of funding at the beginning itself (iv).

The punishment for violation is first time censure, and then removal of the professional’s name from Indian Medical Register or State Medical Register, based on the violation of the clause.