In a privilege speech delivered Monday, Senator Jinggoy Estrada said the government must not allow the persistence of unethical practices in the medical industry amid the reported collusion between doctors and pharmaceutical firms, which is at the core of the “prescription-for-sale” issue.
The controversy stemmed from the alleged multilevel marketing (MLM) scheme employed by a drug manufacturer that enlists licensed medical professionals to push their products to their patients in exchange of luxury gifts and hefty bonuses.
Senator Raffy Tulfo echoed the same sentiments in a separate privilege speech. He wondered how the Department of Health (DOH) allowed this system to continue or even tolerated it.
The Senate Committee on Health and Demography chaired by Senator Christopher Lawrence Go will conduct its investigation on the issue this Tuesday, April 30, to determine the truth behind the allegations. Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito earlier filed Senate Resolution No. 1011 regarding this.
Ejercito said he wants to know if this MLM business and marketing model affects the prices of medicines “because we passed Universal Healthcare Act, Generics Act, specifically to lower down the cost of the medical expenses.”
This is also to protect the reputation of some doctors and other healthcare, in general, who may be receiving untoward criticisms because of the issue. “We need to probe this issue, so that the people’s trust in our doctors will remain solid,” he said.
In her manifestation, Senator Risa Hontiveros sought from Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa some important clarifications because some of the issues mentioned by Estrada and Ejercito were included in the Quality Affordable Medicines Law o Cheaper Medicines Law.