Push Admin

Department of Health Manila. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN news

Article (news)

Department of Health Manila

Arra Perez

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — The Department of Health (DOH) is looking into potential conflicts of interest in incentives like education, clinic equipment and trips abroad that pharmaceutical firm Bell Kenz Pharma Inc. gave &quot;partner doctors&quot;, Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said Wednesday.</p><p>Bell Kenz had denied reports that it is a multi-level marketing scheme, where doctors get money and luxury items in exchange for prescribing a particular medicine or brand name.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/4/26/health-advocate-says-some-doctors-may-be-involved-in-pyramid-scheme-1943">READ: Health advocate says some doctors may be involved in &#x27;pyramid scheme&#x27;</a></div><p>&quot;That&#x27;s an issue of conflict of interest. Iyon iyong sa amin. Iyong sa [Food and Drug Administration], [Professional Regulation Commission], DOH. Kung excessive siya, may ethical violation siya... But we have to prove,&quot; he told reporters.</p><p>(That&#x27;s an issue of conflict of interest. That&#x27;s how we see it. For the Food and Drug Administration, the Professional Regulation Commission, and the DOH. If it&#x27;s excessive, there&#x27;s an ethical violation. But we have to prove.)</p><p>The Code of Ethics of the Profession, which physicians are expected to observe, hold that patient&#x27;s health should take priority &quot;over the benefits of the physicians and the health products industries.&quot;</p><p>The code does, however, allow &quot;reasonable&quot; gifts and subsidies to physicians. According to Article VI, Sec. 3 of the Code, &quot;only gifts of reasonable value that primarily entail benefit to patient care or related to physicians&#x27; work may be accepted by a physician from a health product company.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/4/30/pharma-company-admits-partner-doctors-given-overseas-trips-incentives-2130">RELATED: Pharma company admits &#x27;partner doctors&#x27; given overseas trips, incentives</a></div><p>Herbosa said that the potential ethical violations need to be proven.</p><p>&quot;&#x27;Yong mga doctor na &#x27;yan, kaya naman bumili ng mga kotseng mamahalin sa lakas ng practice nila e. So, binigay ba talaga or claimed lang? Iyon ang mahirap e. Madali mag-accuse, mahirap i-prove,&quot; he added.</p><p>(We need to prove it because those doctors can afford to buy expensive cars with their lucrative practices. But were they given or claimed? That&#x27;s difficult to know. It&#x27;s easy to accuse, but hard to prove.)</p><div><strong>&#x27;VIOLATION MAY BE ON BUSINESS SIDE&#x27;</strong></div><p>The official said he has also met with medical groups and agencies like the Philippine Medical Association, Philippine Hospital Association and the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines and has written to the Securities and Exchange Commission for more details on the matter.</p><p>&quot;Ang opinyon ko dito, based on the facts na lumalabas , ay mukhang ang violations are with the Securities and Exchange Commission. So, but I don&#x27;t know that, abugado magsasabi niyan,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>The Department of Health is looking into the "conflict of interest" that pharmaceutical firm Bell Kenz Pharma Inc. may have been involved in after the company admitted to giving "partner doctors" incentives such as education, clinic equipment, and trips abroad, Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said.</p>

The Department of Health is looking into the "conflict of interest" that pharmaceutical firm Bell Kenz Pharma Inc. may have been involved in after the company admitted to giving "partner doctors" incentives such as education, clinic equipment, and trips abroad, Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said.

DOH looking into conflict of interest in pharma firm's gifts to 'partner doctors'

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Traffic

Manila

Horoscope

News

DOH looking into conflict of interest in pharma firm's gifts to 'partner doctors'

Arra Perez,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 08, 2024 05:32 PM PHT

Read More:

Bell Kenz Pharma

DOH

pharmaceutical company

investigation

SEC

multi-level marketing scheme

incentives

doctors

ANC promo

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.