Sen. JV Ejercito on Thursday asked the Senate to investigate the alleged collusion between doctors and pharmaceutical firms in the so-called “prescription for sale” scheme.
In his Resolution 2011, Ejercito noted that the alleged collusion between pharmaceutical companies and 10 medical practitioners may have contributed to the high out-of-pocket medical expenses of patients.
He said this contradicted the very intent of the Universal Health Care Act.
He also said that to maintain the honor and integrity of the medical profession, Congress should initiate reforms through legislative measures designed to protect the best interests of doctors and their patients from possible abuses, manipulation and circumvention of laws by pharmaceutical companies.
The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday warned that doctors who accept gifts in exchange of their preference to the firms’ manufactured medicines might cost them their medical licenses.
DOH Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo pointed out that while the scheme is still subject to investigation, the agency has already received information that some doctors are receiving incentives, with others even getting luxury cars from pharmaceutical companies.
In return, Domingo said the doctors have to prescribe preferred drug brands to their patients.
Ejercito cited the National Health Accounts of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), which stated that out of pocket health expenditures were estimated at Php 501.79 23 bilion, or around 44.7% of the Php 1.12 trillion total health expenditures for the year.
The vice chairperson of the Senate committee on health also mentioned Republic Act No. 6675 or the Generics Act of 1988, which promotes, encourages and requires the use of generic terminology in the importation, distribution, marketing, advertising and promotion, prescription and dispensing of medicines.
The Generics Act of 1988, required all medical practitioners to write in their prescriptions the generic name of drugs and medicines.
The inclusion of the brand name was only optional and may be written if it was desired.
Ejercito also said the Cheaper Medicines Act also serves as an assurance to the people that there will be competition among those engaged in the business of drugs and medicines production.
However, these laws were contravened by the practice of some doctors who were recruited by a drug firm in their program which intends to prescribe exclusively their own medicines.
The drug firm reportedly imposed a quota on doctors-members who were rewarded with hefty cash, trips abroad, and expensive gifts like Rolex watches and Lexus cars.