Ejercito: Probe doctors’ ‘collusion’ with drug firm

Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito —Senate PRIB

Sen. JV Ejercito filed a resolution on Thursday seeking an inquiry into the alleged collusion between doctors and pharmaceutical companies in prescribing branded medicines.

“To maintain the honor and integrity of the medical profession, Congress may initiate reforms through legislative measures to protect the best interest of doctors and their patients from possible abuses, manipulation and circumvention of laws by pharmaceutical companies,” he said in his resolution.

READ: Leachon bares doc-pharma firms ‘collusion’ in prescribing meds

Following reports that a local pharmaceutical distributor has been offering hefty financial incentives to physicians marketing its products, the Department of Health (DOH) earlier said it had formed a team, along with the Food and Drug Administration, to look into the complaints against the drug company and its affiliated doctors.

The DOH also warned that doctors involved in the marketing scheme may lose their license if found to have been prescribing a particular brand instead of generic drugs.

READ: Senate reso on probe into alleged doctor – pharma collusion filed

While the DOH withheld the company’s name, Ejercito identified the firm as Bell-Kenz Pharma Inc. on Wednesday.

Ejercito said the firm’s business practice, if found questionable, would go against the intentions of the Universal Health Care Act, a law he had sponsored to help bring down the medical expenses of Filipinos.

Additional expenses

“If there are doctors prescribing medicines that you don’t really need, it would only add to the expenses of Filipinos,” argued the senator, who is the Senate committee on health and demography vice chair.

In his resolution, Ejercito cited an April 22 article titled “Sabwatan ng mga doctor at drug companies (Conspiracy between doctors and drug companies),” written by Dr. Sylvia Estrada Claudio and posted by online news website Rappler.

Claudio narrated the challenges she experienced during her medical practice and the alleged influence large pharmaceutical companies wielded over doctors in prescribing drugs and medicines to patients.