Taking a stand for integrity

A few months ago, a senate inquiry was launched on an alleged breach of ethics involving a pharmaceutical firm that was allegedly offering lucrative incentives for doctors to prescribe its medicine, which could be unwittingly unnecessary or more expensive for patients. The company faced scrutiny as well after purported whistleblowers exposed a multi-level-marketing scheme it reportedly employed that also sought to recruit doctors.

Ultimately, the whole affair was inconclusive apart from entities lawyering up and taking legal action. It was, however, a stark reminder for all of us, not just for those in the healthcare sector, of how precious trust and ethics are. 

Integrity and transparency form an important pillar in our shared pursuit of quality and affordable healthcare. The moment we allow these principles to take the backseat, then it's likely that the relationship itself between doctors and their patients will erode. How likely would you be following your physician's prescription if you were informed somewhere that they are also incentivized to favor a certain brand of medicine?

So it was indeed a timely development that the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP) relaunched the I Stand for Integrity Campaign, together with its partners in the healthcare sector. 

Public agencies and private organizations alike convened to affirm the sector's wide consensus with the campaign's objective: to focus on promoting the principles of integrity, transparency, independence, accountability, and, above all, patient focus.

The launch event also saw the various leaders and representatives of these groups and offices alongside PHAP personally express their commitment to the “I Stand for Integrity” campaign's principles, and yours truly had the opportunity to be the moderator between these inspiring and passionate figures as they addressed the audience and shared their insights on the healthcare sector.

PHAP President and Roche Philippines General Manager Dr. Diana Edralin welcomed the audience with a precise reminder of why integrity, ethics, and professionalism is crucial for the growth of our healthcare sector. “The ethical promotion of