Need for action

Whatever happened to the investigations on the alleged questionable activities of a pharmaceutical company and a number of medical professionals in the marketing and selling of its products by paying hefty commissions to doctors who prescribe them to their patients?

Last year, the Senate committee on health conducted hearings into accusations hurled towards Bell-Kenz Pharma Inc., including the giving of luxury gifts and huge commissions to doctors who prescribed the company’s medicine and who were part of a multi-level marketing (MLM) program of Bell-Kenz.

During one hearing, Bell Kenz chairperson and CEO Luis Go stressed that they were a law-abiding pharmaceutical entity and adhered to all government regulations and the company was the victim of misinformation propagated through social media.

Go, however, admitted that Bell Kenz gave incentives and support to doctors through medical education locally and abroad and even medical equipment. He clarified that the incentives were part of ongoing medical education and support for doctors, denying giving cash or luxury cars.

He added that Bell-Kenz’s medicines are 30 percent cheaper and end-users prefer their products and consequently, the shares of multinational companies’ leading brands were being devoured.

Sen. Bong Go who chaired the committee back then said that they were alarmed by reports involving a pharmaceutical company which was allegedly engaged in marketing operations where favored doctors, some of them said to be owning shares in the company, prescribe and aggressively encourage patients to buy prescription medicines distributed by Bell Kenz.

Meanwhile, according to Sen. JV Ejercito, health committee vice-chair, physicians who helped Bell-Kenz sell vitamins and medicines to patients suffering from diabetes, cardiovascular problems and other lifestyle diseases were lavishly rewarded with high-end cars, foreign trips and luxury watches.

The Department of Health and the Food and Drug Administration, according to news report, had formed a team to look into the complaints against Bell-Kenz and its affiliated doctors, even as the DOH warned that doctors involved may lose their license if found to have been prescribing a particular brand instead of the generic names of medicines as required by law.

In DOH Circular 2024-0141, the DOH reminded all health professionals and personnel that accepting gifts, grants, or any emoluments from biopharmaceutical companies or members of industry in exchange for any act benefitting such company or member of the industry is unethical.

Later, the DOH said that it could only investigate health facilities while the Food and Drug Administration could scrutinize pharma companies. The DOH also deferred to the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC) and the concerned professional organizations as to the conduct of separate investigations focusing on the doctors.

But just as the Senate inquiry and attempts by government agencies to look into the issue were already fading into the shadows, lawyer and human rights advocate Erin Tañada filed a complaint before the PRC and the Board of Medicine seeking the suspension or revocation of the licenses of Bell-Kenz CEO Dr. Luis Go and a certain Dr. Viannely Flores.

Tañada was a former congressman and the author of the first Universal Healthcare bill filed in Congress. He also authored other health-related bills such as the National Health Insurance Act and increased taxation and marketing regulations for tobacco and supported the passage of the Cheaper Medicines Act

“Doctors are sworn to protect life, not profit from patients by turning them into mere ‘sales targets,’” Tañada said in a statement. “The issue is not about the medicine of Bell-Kenz, rather, the alleged practice of doctors like Dr. Go and Dr. Flores pushing their use to patients.”

Senate documents showed that entry-level investments for physicians ranged from P250,000 to P500,000, with Go himself admitting to receiving a Mercedes-Benz from the company’s board.

“Being a doctor and investor in a pharmaceutical company constitutes a clear conflict of interest,” PRC commissioner Jose Cueto Jr. told senators during the April 2024 inquiry. He said such conduct violates the Code of Ethics for the Medical Profession and could result in suspension or license revocation.

Tañada also flagged Flores for possibly violating the Generics Act of 1988 by prescribing large quantities of branded medications without prioritizing generic alternatives. Some prescriptions reportedly ran into “hundreds of tablets,” raising concerns over patient safety and overprescription.

The complaint invokes several statutes, including the Universal Healthcare Law, the Medical Act, the Code of Conduct for Public Officials, the Philippine Pharmacy Act, and the Financial Products and Services Consumer Protection Act.

Tañada said that Go’s admission of owning ZureRx, a pharmacy that primarily sells Bell-Kenz medicines adds another layer of conflict. “The poor are doubly victimized: first by the costlier branded medicines pushed by the scheme, and second by the betrayal of doctors who should have safeguarded their health,” he said.

The PRC and the Board of Medicine, under the PRC Modernization Act, are authorized to conduct hearings and impose disciplinary sanctions including the suspension or revocation of licenses.

Tañada emphasized that medicine is a profession built on trust, not commissions, even as he urged the PRC to widen its probe beyond Go and Flores to include over 4,000 doctors allegedly tied to Bell-Kenz, and to investigate other pharmaceutical companies employing similar models. Ultimately, this is about restoring integrity to our healthcare system and ensuring that no patient is ever treated as a business opportunity again, Tañada said.

It is also about time that our legislators come up with our version of the Stark Law, a US federal law that prohibits physicians from referring Medicare and Medicaid patients for designated health services to entities where they or an immediate family members have a financial interest.

New venture

Roxaco Land Corp. (RLC), a wholly owned subsidiary of Roxas and Co., is spending around P500 million for the final phase of the 7.2-hectare Anya Resort in Tagaytay.

Launched last month, Anya Villas, the third phase of Anya Resort will feature 17 independent private luxury villas within the lush and secure grounds of Anya Resort and each villa will occupy around 500 square meters. The project is expected to be completed by mid-2027.

RLC president and CEO Santiago Elizalde noted that Anya Villas is not just Phase 3 of their development but is also the culmination of the Anya lifestyle that they have been working on perfecting starting eight years ago. “Anya Villas checks all the boxes: quality time with loved ones and with the self, as well as time to indulge in wellness for the body, mind, and spirit, in a setting that is both private and serene. It’s the cherry on top of this one of a kind project,” he said.

Anya Villas is among the most exclusive real estate opportunities in the Philippines today. Designed for ultra-high-net-worth individuals, seasoned investors, top executives, and global citizens seeking a luxury second home or wellness retreat, this is an invitation into a community unlike any other.

Elizalde emphasized that with only 17 villas to be offered, Anya Villas is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to invest in the luxury of privacy, and the essence of living well.

Anya Resort Tagaytay is managed by AHG Hotels and Resorts (AHG) which also manages Niyama Wellness Center, Club Punta Fuego, Ylang-Ylang Spa, Terrazas de Punta Fuego, Brio de Agoho, Reside Siargao and Go Hotels (Airport Road, Timog, Ermita and North Edsa).

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