Important
regional issues such as economic integration, food security, expansion of
trade, open governance, environmental protection and public health were among
those addressed by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in
Honolulu, Hawaii attended by no less than President Benigno S. C. Aquino III
and 20 other heads of state.
During the Summit, APEC Ministers held a High
Level Policy Dialogue on Open Governance and Economic Growth where they
recognized that transparency and open governance are a “critical element” of
sustainable economic competitiveness, leading to economic growth and
prosperity.
A vital part of the transparency and open
governance initiative is the conduct of ethical business practices.
In line with this, APEC Ministers endorsed
three sets of principles to promote an ethical commercial environment in the
areas of medical devices, construction and engineering, and biopharmaceutical.
Prior the Ministers Summit, an APEC Expert
Working Group (EWG) was convened to discuss and formulate a common set of APEC
Principles for Voluntary Codes of Business Ethics in the Biopharmaceutical
Sector in Mexico City in September 2011.
Invited to participate in the EWG were members
of the academe, government and the pharmaceutical industry.
Both the global International Federation of
Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA) and the Pharmaceutical
and health care Association of the Philippines (PHAP) were consulted during the
said expert discussion.
In fact, several provisions of the Code of
Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices developed by PHAP were considered during the
preparation of the draft.
Now known as the “Mexico City Principles for
Voluntary Codes of Business Ethics in the Biopharmaceutical Sector,” these set
of principles aim to advance standards for the ethical promotion of medicines.
Also referred to as the “Mexico City
Principles,” the ethical standards help ensure that medical decisions are made
in the best interests of patients.
It consists of six principles, namely: health
care and patient focus, integrity, independence, legitimate intent,
transparency and accountability.
The said principles apply to the
biopharmaceutical sector, health care professionals and other stakeholders.
It is grounded on the fact that ethical relationships
are critical to the mission of the biopharmaceutical companies to help patients
by developing and making medicines available.
The APEC-endorsed document recognizes that
ethical interactions between the biopharmaceutical sector and health-care professionals
help bolster patient care and advance the practice of medicine.
For one, it allows the manufacturers or
distributors of medicines to provide health-care professionals the information
about the risks and benefits of pharmaceutical products.
Such exchanges are likewise beneficial as they
provide an avenue for scientific and educational information and education.
During these interactions, the Mexico City
Principles emphasize that biopharmaceutical companies have an obligation and
responsibility to provide objective, accurate, and balanced information about
their medicines so that there will be a clear understanding of the appropriate
use of medicines.
They also stress that medicines should be
promoted, sold and distributed in a manner that is ethical, objective, balanced
and accountable, and in accordance with all relevant laws and regulations.
In relation to these principles,
pharmaceutical companies in all their interactions must not improperly
influence health-care professionals whether they may be physicians, nurses,
pharmacists or their staff.
So as to avoid undue influence, all scientific
or educational events must be held in modest venues and not in extravagant
locations or even resorts.
Moderate hospitality must also be limited to
participants and not to their guests.
The principles clearly state that companies
should not pay any costs associated with individuals accompanying health-care
professionals.
Furthermore, nothing should be offered or
provided by a company in a manner that will affect the prescribing behavior of
a health care professional. For one, the Mexico Principles states that payments
in cash or cash equivalents or gifts for the personal benefit of health-care
professionals must not be provided or offered.
It also asserts that to ensure that all
interactions are professional in nature, any form of entertainment or
recreational items, such as tickets to the theater or sporting events, sporting
equipment, or leisure or vacation trips are highly being discouraged.
Education and promotional materials, on the
other hand, should encourage the use of appropriate medicines by presenting
them objectively and without exaggerating their properties among others.
They should be based on an up-to-date
evaluation of all relevant scientific evidence and should not in any way
mislead by distortion, exaggeration, undue emphasis or omission.
The said set of principles also provides for
the ethical and professional public sector relationships during government
procurement, donations for charitable institutions and clinical trials among
others.
APEC economies, biopharmaceutical companies
and health-care professionals are encouraged by the Mexico City Principles to
develop and implement codes of ethics consistent with the newly-endorsed set of
guidelines.
The economies also recommend that industry
associations consider publicizing those members who have agreed to abide by the
codes to motivate the adoption of an industry code.
They also urge industry regulators and
anti-corruption enforcement authorities to endorse the Mexico City Principles.
Implementing the regional set of standards for
the biopharmaceutical sector requires collaboration of industry associations,
individual companies, health-care professionals, patient and anti-corruption
groups, and the government, among other important stakeholders.
Advancing ethics in business will not only
yield benefits to patients but will also result in trust and confidence in the
biopharmaceutical sector and those who belong to it.
Reiner W. Gloor
Business World
Weekender
Business & Investment Opportunities
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