The Philippine Medical Association has urged its members to reaffirm their dedication to integrity, transparency, and ethical practices of medicine in an open letter, where PMA president Dr. Minerva Calimag “encouraged” its nearly 100,000 member physicians to actively disclose any financial relationships or conflicts of interest with pharmaceutical companies.
The reminder comes ahead of a Senate inquiry on the alleged involvement of doctors in a multilevel marketing scheme. Public health reform advocate Dr. Tony Leachon estimates that at least 200 doctors across the country, some even affiliated with big hospitals, were involved with Bell-Kenz Pharma Inc., where the business model reportedly involves doctors investing in the company and encouraging other doctors to invest as their “downlines.” They earn commissions through the medicines they prescribe to patients, which are marketed by the same pharmaceutical company.
Bell-Kenz has rejected the allegations of being involved in a “pyramiding scheme” to prescribe its medicines in exchange for huge commissions, describing the claims as “misinformed and unfounded” and saying that the company was willing to face separate investigations by the Senate and the Department of Health.
PMA members who are found to have violated the PMA Code of Ethics of the Medical Profession, could face a “reprimand, suspension, or revocation” of the medical license of the offending physician.
Calimag also called on the doctors in the country to “uphold ethical guidelines when entering into partnerships with the pharmaceutical industry,” and be “wary” of accepting gifts or incentives that could influence their medical judgment.
The PMA president admitted that while the interactions between doctors and the pharma industry have been “both inevitable and valuable,” she stressed that it is still “imperative that we, as custodians of health, uphold the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and ethical practice in every aspect of these interactions.”
The relationship between physicians and the pharma industry has always been a potentially profitable one for both sides, which is unfortunately at the expense of the patient. Without regulation, oversight, and enforcement, we are simply relying on a code of ethics to keep our doctors true to their word. Can we count on them to resist that sort of temptation, or does the government need to step in? It is something our lawmakers should put a lot of thought into.*
