Okaz/Saudi Gazette

THE Ministry of Health has launched a ferocious battle against pharmaceutical companies, which have succeeded in tempting doctors to promote their low-quality medications. The companies have somehow managed to convince some doctors to prescribe their bad-quality medications in exchange for free tourist trips inside and outside the country or for bearing the costs and expenses of sending doctors to medical conferences abroad. Some companies offer doctors official credits approved by the Saudi Council of Health Specialties.

Companies send out their medical representatives to various hospitals to approach doctors and convince them to promote ineffective medications in blatant disregard for the detrimental damage such medications may cause to some patients’ health.

A media and public relation official at the Ministry of Health said all health affairs directorates all over the Kingdom’s regions need to get all medical representatives of pharmaceutical companies to obtain permission from the pertinent directorate before approaching any doctors in any health institution.

Any company wishing to launch an advertising campaign with a view to enhancing patient safety should first coordinate with the relevant department at the region’s directorate and get a permission. The ministry has warned doctors, technicians and all staff members working in health sectors against issuing any certificates or documents to a pharmaceutical company.

Reports have indicated that some doctors working in public facilities have received medical representatives without getting permission first from the pertinent authority, an act that constitutes a violation of the ministry’s regulations and laws.

The ministry has asked security guards at hospitals not to allow any medical representative to enter the premises without prior appointment or permission from the pertinent authorities.

Inspection

The ministry has ordered that more surprise and intensive inspection visits should be carried out in public health institutions and facilities to stop attempts on the part of some medical representatives to market certain baby milks as substitutes for a mother natural milk.

The ministry said circulars in this regard have been dispatched to all public facilities banning them from receiving medical representatives.

Medical sources told Okaz that the inspection committees would not monitor the performance of private hospitals in this regard, stressing that each private hospital should ensure that its breastfeeding policy should be in line with the ministry’s regulations.

The ministry has recently put up signs inside health institutions and private pharmacies to educate the public about the importance of breastfeeding.

The ministry is planning to shut down pharmacies inside public hospitals and has already done so in a number of primary healthcare centers across the country. Informed sources told Okaz that the ministry is planning to coordinate with private pharmacies to dispense medications to patients while the ministry will bear the costs.

The doctor writes the prescription then the patient can go to certain private pharmacies where he can get the medications free.

The sources said this step comes in line with Vision 2030 aiming to privatize some government sectors. The ministry currently runs 270 medication warehouses across the country and most of the warehouses have old management systems.

The new mechanism will allow patients to get medication faster from the nearest pharmacy in their neighborhood. It will also save huge amounts of money, which the ministry uses to run the warehouses.