AS senators on Tuesday grilled an official of the controversial Bell-Kenz Pharma Inc. at a listening to, Well being Secretary Teodoro Herbosa admitted that he’s unaware of the alleged multilevel advertising and marketing (MLM) scheme of the agency and a few medical doctors.
When requested by Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go, chairman of the Senate Committee on Well being and Demography, if he has any information of the alleged MLM scheme, Herbosa admitted that he was simply conscious of the “perks” given by the pharmaceutical firms to the medical doctors.
“[What I’ve heard of are] journeys to overseas conferences, and possibly meals in costly eating places,” Herbosa mentioned, partly in Filipino.
“It’s solely now that I’ve realized of this multi-level advertising and marketing. And it’s solely now that I’ve realized how exorbitant the items are,” the well being chief added.
Herbosa revealed that he turned conscious of the alleged scheme when it was talked about in a earlier Senate listening to and he obtained a message from somebody by way of social media about it afterwards.
Record of medical doctors, financial institution checks
In the meantime, Sen. Raffy Tulfo, who introduced with him a listing of medical doctors concerned within the alleged multilevel advertising and marketing scheme, grilled the official of Bell-Kenz Pharma current on the listening to.
Tulfo requested Dr. Luis Raymond Go, chairperson and chief government officer of Bell Kenz-Pharma Inc., whether or not they give commissions to medical doctors as incentives for prescribing their medicines to the affected person.
Go denied this and mentioned their firm follows the legal guidelines, regulation, and moral requirements as they provide “high- high quality” however inexpensive medicines.
“Mr. Chair, in current days, our firm has been discovered [ . . . ] and smeared in an internet of misinformation by way of numerous media channels,” Go mentioned as he refuted earlier than the panel what he known as “baseless accusations” and asserted their group’s “dedication, integrity and compliance.”
Nonetheless, Tulfo claimed he holds a number of financial institution checks proving that the pharmaceutical firm is offering incentives to its member-doctors.
Additionally current on the Senate panel on well being and demography’s listening to have been Senators Joseph Victor Ejercito and Jinggoy Estrada.
Ejercito, in the meantime, expressed concern that the reported practices involving unscrupulous pharmaceutical firms and medical doctors would drive up healthcare prices within the nation.
Ejercito famous moral, authorized and coverage issues over the alleged collusion between some medical doctors and Bell-Kenz Pharma Inc., supposedly leading to pricier and pointless prescriptions.
“The scandal undoes our efforts to make healthcare extra inexpensive,” mentioned Ejercito, who careworn that legal guidelines such because the Common Well being Care (UHC) Act have been handed to scale back the Filipinos’ well being bills. “What’s the aim of this if one particular person prescribes pricier drugs?” he requested aloud, in Filipino.
The senator mentioned the UHC Act has lowered out-of-pocket funds to 44 % in 2022.
Alternatively, Estrada requested the DOH to behave instantly on the alleged unethical follow of some medical doctors colluding with a pharmaceutical agency within the prescription of medicines.
“This listening to is a chance to recommit ourselves to the Hippocratic oath and the sacred relationship between healer and healed. Let it function a reminder of our duties and values,” Estrada mentioned.
Get to backside of the controversy
Senator Go vowed to resolve the controversy as he sought the safety not solely of sufferers’ rights, but in addition of medical doctors over the alleged collusion with pharmaceutical corporations.
“We don’t want to see the day when the individuals lose their belief in our medical doctors’ prescriptions, and their medical recommendation, simply due to just a few scoundrels. A grave hazard is to have an unintended consequence of making a public notion that each one pharma firms and medical doctors are unclean,” Go mentioned.
Herbosa, in the meantime, mentioned that medical doctors concerned within the alleged scheme might face fees.
Picture credit: Roy Domingo
