Joint panel to investigate 'unethical' pharma scheme

(UPDATE) THREE government agencies will form a joint committee to investigate the alleged unethical marketing practices of pharmaceutical companies.

The panel will be made up of the Department of Health (DoH), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Board of Medicine of the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC).

The joint committee was formed after a Senate investigation found out that a pharmaceutical distributor, Bell-Kenz Pharma Inc., was using a “multi-level marketing” setup in prescribing medicine to their patients in exchange for commissions.

In a statement, Health Acting Assistant Secretary and spokesman Albert Domingo said Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa met last Thursday with the FDA and PRC board to create the panel.

Also present at the meeting were FDA Director General Samuel Zacate and PRC Medicine Board Chairman Zenaida Antonio, as well as representatives from the Philippine Medical Association’s Commission on Ethics and the Philippine Hospital Association.

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Domingo said the committee will help reduce redundancy and speed up the processing of requirements regarding the many allegations aired at the Senate hearing.

“[It will ensure] that the integrity of the medical profession is protected while holding accountable those found to have violated pertinent laws, rules, and regulations,” Domingo said.

In a separate statement, FDA spokesman Pamela Sevilla said that the meeting also identified the agencies that would carry out the investigation and determine possible sanctions.

Sevilla said that even before the issue came to the media, they were able to identify which agencies or departments were accountable.

“We cannot pinpoint what are the violations that they did, considering that this is a multilevel marketing [scheme], there will be many who will get involved,” Sevilla said.

The panel will also seek inputs and comments from the PMA, the Philippine Pharmacists Association, and even the Securities and Exchange Commission because a multilevel marketing scheme is involved.

The panel’s legal advisers will look at ways to protect whistleblowers.

Sevilla called on the public to inform the panel about schemes that involve pharmaceutical companies, but stressed the inquiry will focus first on Bell-Kenz.

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