Government doctors in Region 1 selling counterfeit drugs?

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan — Allegations raised by an official of the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) that doctors in practically all government hospitals in Region 1 (Ilocos region), particularly in Pangasinan, are themselves promoting counterfeit drugs, have caused an uproar among medical practitioners here.

To clear the issue, provincial board member Dionisio Villar Jr. (fifth district), chairman of the committee on health, said he will invite Dr. Ray Jacinto, chief of the BFAD’s standards and regulation division based in San Fernando City, to the board’s question hour before the end of the month.

Villar said Jacinto will be asked to identify government doctors whom he has accused of flagrantly selling counterfeit medicines.

To be invited along with Jacinto are the heads of government-owned hospitals in Pangasinan and the provincial association of pharmacists.

Villar told The STAR that he has talked to Jacinto about reports quoting him as telling some newsmen that the campaign against counterfeit medicines has been unsuccessful because government doctors and nurses themselves have been openly selling counterfeit drugs in hospitals’ outpatient departments.

"I assured Dr. Jacinto of my 100 percent support. But his statements are sweeping and damaging, especially to the majority of our government doctors who are really dedicated to their jobs," Villar said.

"Let us help each other put behind bars those violating the law, but let us also spare others who are not. Thus, I want him to attend our question hour so he can explain his predicament and so that we can also help him in his crusade," he said.

Lawyer Virgilio Solis, provincial administrator, supported Villar’s move to invite Jacinto to settle the issue once and for all.

In text messages to The STAR, Jacinto said he was helpless in his campaign because doctors themselves have been flagrantly selling counterfeit drugs.

In one text message, Jacinto said, "Yes! Doctors r promoters of countrft drugs! U can quote me on dat. Nakakadismaya tlaga."

Jacinto identified the government hospitals where counterfeit drugs have allegedly been sold openly as "the Region 1 Medical Center (RIMC) in Dagupan City, Western Pangasinan District Hospital in Alaminos City, Don Amadeo Perez Memorial Hospital in Urdaneta City, Pangasinan Provincial Hospital (PPH) in San Carlos City, and practically all government hospitals regionwide, up to Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte. Ganun katalamak."

Reacting to the allegations, Dr. Jesus Canto, RIMC chief, said, "Maybe, Dr. Jacinto is right, but he should not stop and have the violators arrested. If it will just be a loud mouth, that’s nothing."

He said he himself has warned his doctors in various memoranda to refrain from dispensing and selling medicines inside the hospital.

He added that he has repeatedly reminded his medical staff to prescribe only medicines available in the hospital pharmacy.

Canto required his clinical department heads "to submit their needed medicines to the pharmacy and the management shall exert all efforts to make such medicines available provided that they are included in the Philippine National Drug Formulary."

"Anybody who will be caught violating these policies shall be dealt with accordingly," partly read one of Canto’s memoranda, a copy of which was furnished to The STAR.

For her part, Dr. Vivian Villar, chief of the Don Amadeo Perez Memorial Hospital, said there had been reports in the past about doctors being involved in the illegal practice, but she added that this had been stopped.

"We are aware that doctors are not allowed to sell medicines but only to prescribe them," she said.

Dr. Jackson Soriano, PPH chief, said he is willing to attend the board’s question hour to let truth come out.