PCP, PMA uphold ethical standards

If you see doctors traveling in groups at an international airport, chances are they are heeding for an overseas “educational trip” courtesy of a pharmaceutical company promoting certain medical products.

International travel, gifts and other perks being showered doctors are among the “unethical” topics discussed by the Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) and Philippine Medical Association (PMA) during a convention at the Marriott hotel in Pasay City last week.

The two biggest groups of medical doctors signed a memorandum of cooperation supporting the code of ethics formulated by the global pharmaceutical industry and called on their members to always uphold professional and ethical standards in dealing with the pharmaceutical industry and other health care stakeholders.

Anthony Leachon, PCP president, and Minerva Calimag, PMA president signed the memorandum of cooperation. Dr. David Fleming of the American Association witnessed the event.

“Our essential role as doctors is to protect our ability to care for our patients. We should not tolerate actions and unethical practices in medicine that place our entire profession at risk. We should hold ourselves to the highest standards in the practice of medicine,” Leachon said.

The PCP and PMA participated in drafting the Department of Health (DOH)’s administrative order adopting the so- called Mexico Principles for Voluntary Codes of Business Ethics in the Biopharmaceutical Sector, and the Kuala Lumpur Principle Medical Device Sector Code of Ethics.

The DOH order needs the signature of Health Secretary Janette Garin before it can be implemented.

The order lists prohibited practices in dealing with the pharmaceutical industry.

Francisco Tranquilino, PCP representative in the technical working group, said the Mexico City Principles discussed the “unethical practices” of medical representatives in influencing doctors to prescribe their products.

Food, ball pens, prescription pads, and sometimes cash are reportedly among those dangled by pharma representatives.

Tranquilino said a study showed that even a one-minute “talk” by doctors with pharmaceutical sales representatives resulted in an increase of 16 percent in the prescription of their products.

“Three-minute talks resulted in a 51 percent increase in the prescription of certain medicines,” he said.

In group educational conventions, doctors were invited with family members to visit certain destinations, which later on turned out to be leisure trips.

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