Chinese authorities have clarified that the role of pharmaceutical representatives is to provide physicians with product information through academic exchanges and that they are strictly prohibited from offering commercial bribes, according to a regulation released recently by the National Medical Products Administration and six other government departments.

The regulation on the management of pharmaceutical representatives aims to crack down on illicit practices such as unauthorized drug sales and bribery, which severely disrupt fair market competition and undermine the healthy development of the pharmaceutical industry, the administration said.

Since the launch of a registration platform in late 2020, more than 2,000 drugmakers, or drug marketing authorization holders, have registered about 116,000 pharmaceutical representatives in China.

Under the new regulation, which will take effect on Aug 1,2026, pharmaceutical representatives are responsible for academic promotion of drugs rather than sales activities. They must hold at least an associate degree in medicine, pharmacy or a related field, possess knowledge of clinical pharmacology and specify a clearly defined area of operation when registering.

The regulation prohibits pharmaceutical representatives from engaging in sales-related activities such as collecting payments or handling purchase and sales invoices. They are also barred from offering donations, subsidies or sponsorships to medical institutions based on drug sales volume, or providing kickbacks and other financial benefits to medical personnel, their spouses or relatives.

In addition, representatives are prohibited from misleading doctors about drug use, exaggerating or misrepresenting therapeutic effects, concealing known adverse reaction information, or illegally collecting, using or disseminating patient data or internal information from medical institutions.

Pharmaceutical companies are forbidden from employing or authorizing representatives found to have engaged in commercial bribery.

Medical institutions are also prohibited from communicating with unregistered representatives or accepting benefits from them in any form.

The regulation also calls for stronger coordination among drug regulators, health authorities, public security agencies and market regulators to improve information sharing and close regulatory loopholes.

Disciplinary measures, including public disclosure of violations, restrictions on participation in drug procurement programs and limitations on national medical insurance services, will be used to strengthen oversight and deter future misconduct.

Yu Wei, a professor at the research center for healthcare policy and management at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, told People's Daily that the regulation signals a shift in the responsibilities of pharmaceutical representatives from driving sales to only communicating academic medical information.

Yu said pharmaceutical representatives will no longer be able to rely on personal connections to influence prescriptions and instead must create value through authentic, standardized and traceable medical information services.

In the long term, he said, the changes will benefit the profession and help innovative pharmaceutical companies establish a healthier and more credible academic promotion system.