Can you say "steroid-free" in Indian pharma promotional material?
Conditionally restricted. In doctor-directed pharmaceutical promotion in India, 'steroid-free' is not expressly banned. It is conditionally restricted under the Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP) 2024. The claim must be accurate, balanced and capable of substantiation (Clause 1.3). It must not mislead by implication, for example by suggesting the product has no side effects (Clause 1.3).
In short
- Status: conditionally restricted.
- Governing instrument: Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP) 2024, Clause 1.3. Clause 2.2 also applies where the material uses the word 'safe' without qualification or states categorically that the product has no side effects.
- UCPMP 2024 does not name this term.
- First checked by two independent AI models against the live web. Citations re-checked on 6 October 2026. They were checked against the official text of the Code.
Which instrument governs this
Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP) 2024, Clause 1.3. Clause 2.2 also applies where the material uses the word 'safe' without qualification or states categorically that the product has no side effects.
UCPMP 2024 does not name this term. It is a factual statement about composition. So the test is whether it is accurate and capable of substantiation. It must not mislead by implication, for example by suggesting the product has no side effects (Clause 1.3). Clause 2.2 applies directly where the material uses 'safe' without qualification. It also applies where the material says categorically that there are no side effects.
What verification returned
In doctor-directed pharmaceutical promotion in India, 'steroid-free' is not expressly banned. It is conditionally restricted under the Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP) 2024. The claim must be accurate, balanced and capable of substantiation (Clause 1.3). It must not mislead by implication, for example by suggesting the product has no side effects (Clause 1.3). If the material uses the word 'safe' without qualification, or says categorically that there are no side effects, Clause 2.2 applies directly.
How this was checked
Two independent AI models were asked the same question against the live web. They were Gemini 2.5 Pro with Google Search grounding, and OpenAI GPT-5 with web search. A third model then judged whether they agreed on the substance rather than the wording. Every source cited was fetched over HTTP to confirm it exists. A fetch confirms only that a source exists. It does not confirm that the source supports the statement. So on 6 October 2026 the citations on this page were re-checked. They were checked against the official text of the Code. They were corrected where they were wrong. Terms that did not reach agreement between the models are not published.
Sources checked
Frequently asked questions
Can you say "steroid-free" in pharma promotion in India?
Conditionally restricted. In doctor-directed pharmaceutical promotion in India, 'steroid-free' is not expressly banned. It is conditionally restricted under the Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP) 2024. The claim must be accurate, balanced and capable of substantiation (Clause 1.3). It must not mislead by implication, for example by suggesting the product has no side effects (Clause 1.3).
Which code governs the use of 'steroid-free'?
Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP) 2024, Clause 1.3. Clause 2.2 also applies where the material uses the word 'safe' without qualification or states categorically that the product has no side effects.
How reliable is this answer?
It was first checked on 10 September 2026 by two independent AI models, Gemini 2.5 Pro and GPT-5. Both worked against the live web, and their answers were adjudicated for agreement. Every cited source was fetched to confirm it exists. A fetch confirms only that a source exists. So on 6 October 2026 the citations were re-checked. They were checked against the official text of the Code. They were corrected where they were wrong. Terms that did not reach agreement are not published. The Code can change, so check against the source before relying on it.
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