30.

There are advertisements showing doctors apparently endorsing commercial

products. Discuss in relation to the Code of Medical Ethics.

Doctors are prohibited from commercially indorsing a commercial product as

provided for Section 8 of the Code of Ethics of the Philippine Medical Association.
Section 8 states that a physician shall not commercially endorse any medical or health
product.1 Dr. Rey-Melchor Santos, former president of the Philippine Medical
Association, stated that an appearance of the doctor in an advertisement is tantamount
to the endorsement of such product.2 Violations thereof would be a sufficient ground for
reprimanding a physician, or for suspending or revoking a certificate of registration as
physician under number 12 of Section 24 of Article III of the Medical Act of 1959.3
Prior to the revision of the Code of Ethics of the Philippine Medical Association,
there was an increasing amount of doctors that were endorsing food supplements that
do not have an approved therapeutic claims.4 This led to the decision by the Philippine
Medical Association to modify its Code of Ethics.
People usually rely on the representations of a doctor concerning medical
diagnosis, prescription and other medical products. Therefore, a consequence produced
by an advertisement featuring a physician would be the misplaced confidence by the
viewers over products which have no approved therapeutic claims. Consumers are led
to believe that a certain product works due to the assurance or endorsement by the
physician which is detrimental to the consumer not only financially, but maybe physically
1

CODE OF ETHICS OF THE PHILIPPINE MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, art III, 5

GMA News Online, Doctors prohibited from endorsing healthcare products, available at
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/117966/news/nation/doctors-prohibited-from-endorsing-healthcareproducts, (last accessed August 28, 2014)
3
The Medical Act of 1959, Republic Act No. 2382, (1959)
4
Ibid.
2

as well. For example, in the past, cigarettes capitalized on publics trust of physicians to
promote and quash any doubts concerning the effects of cigarettes.5

31. Pharmaceutical company funds a medical research conducted by a physician. Is this

allowed?

This is allowed. There is no express prohibition in the Code of Ethics of the PMA
that forbids a pharmaceutical company from funding a medical research conducted by a
physician. Section 5, Article VI of the Code of Ethics of the Philippine Medical
Association merely states, Research activities shall be ethically defensible, socially
responsible, and scientifically valid.

Any remuneration should be reasonable and

should not constitute an enticement.6 The title of Article VI is the Relationship of

Physicians with the Health Products Industry. 7 Logically, it can be deduced that the
funding for such research activities and the source of remuneration is the Health
Products Industry.

HemOnc Today, Cigarettes were once physician tested, approved, available at

http://www.healio.com/hematology-oncology/news/print/hematology-oncology/%7B241d62a7-fe6e-4c5b-9feda33cc6e4bd7c%7D/cigarettes-were-once-physician-tested-approved (last accessed August 28, 2014)
6
CODE OF ETHICS OF THE PHILIPPINE MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, art VI, 5
7
Ibid.