Lecture Date: February 2, 2017
Code of ethics for medical profession
Based on the codes of ethics that has been formulated
by the Philippine medical association
Provision:
Article 1: Primary objective of the practice of
medicine is service to mankind
Section 1: It is the respective of race, age, disease,
disability, gender sexual orientation, social standing,
political affiliation In medical practice, reward or
financial gain should be a subordinate coordination and
not be the primary objective
Section 2. On entering the profession, the
physician assumes the obligation of maintaining
honorable tradition that confers the well deserved title
of friend of mankind.
Physician conducts himself or herself in accordance with
this code and also the other generally accepted
principles to the national code of medical ethics
Section 3. Physician should fulfill his civic duties as
a good citizen, must confer to the laws and cooperate
with the proper authorities in the application of medical
knowledge for the promotion of the common welfare
Section 4. The physicians should work together in
harmony and mutual respect
Section 5. Physician should cooperate with and
safeguard the interest, reputation and dignity of the
paramedical profession and other health professionals
Section 6: The physician should be diligent, sober,
modest, and well versed in the both the science in the
art of the profession
Section 7. the promotion and advancement of
health of the patient should be prioritized over the
benefit of the physician and the health product industry
Article 2: Duties of the physician to their patients
Section 1. Physician should be dedicated to
provide competent medical care with full professional
skill in accordance in current standards of care,
compassion, independence and respect for human
dignity
Section 2. Physician should be free to choose
patient; means choose patient depending on skill and
capability.
Section 3. In an emergency, provided there is no
risk to his or her safety, a physician should administer at
least first aid treatment before referring the patient to
another hospital or another clinic.
Section 4. In serious or difficult cases, or when the
circumstances of the patient or the family demand are
justified, the physician should seek the assistance of
appropriate specialists.
Section 5. Physician should exercise good faith and
honesty in expressing opinions concerning the diagnosis,
prognosis and the treatment of the case and their care
Section 6. The physician should also respect the
right of the patient to refuse medical treatment
Section 7. Timely notice of the worsening of the
disease should be given to the patient or to the family.
Patient should know if disease is getting worse
Section 8. Physician should not conceal or
exaggerate the patients condition except when it is to
the patients best interest. Means you can conceal the
true diagnosis if you think the patient old not take it.
Section 9. The physician should obtain from
patient a voluntary consent
Section 10. In case of unconsciousness or state of
mental deficiency the informed consent maybe given by
the spouse or the immediate relative and in the
absence of both by the party authorized by an advance
directive of the patient (patient advocate)
Section 11. Informed consent in the case of
minors, should be given by the parents or the guardian
or members of the immediate family who are of legal
age
Section 12. Physician should hold a sacred and
highly confidential whatever maybe discovered or
learned pertinent to the patient even after death;
confidentiality extends even after death except when
required by law for the promotion of justice or safety
and in the interest of public health then can break
confidentiality
Section 13. Fees should be commensurate to the
services rendered and also with due consideration to
the patients financial status; commensurate with the
time consumed and the professional standing
Duties of the physician to the community
Physician should cooperate with the duly
constituted health authorities in the education and
enforcement of laws, regulations pertinent to the
promotion of health. Furthermore, in times of epidemic,
and public calamity, (except when safety is at stake),
physicians must attend to victims. Doctors should alert
public and duly constituted health authorities on
especially on the dangers of communicable diseases
and enforce measures for the prevention and cure of
these diseases in accordance with existing laws.
A physician should assist the government in the
administration of justice in accordance e with the law.
They should be accorded to be fair and just
enumeration when called upon as an expert witness.
Physician is encouraged to expose and report to
the proper authorities the presence of unlicensed
medical practitioners. As much as their nefarious
practices may post injury to the health and the life of
people in the community they should be reported, you
should never condone nor connive with such fake
health providers.
A physician shall not employ agents in the
solicitation and recruitment of patients. It will be the
word of mouth; it will be your patients who will
advertise you.
For promotion of your practice a physician may
use professional cards or you can use the classified ad
or the internet and sign boards. But the sign boards
should not exceed 1x2meters in size. Except in the
internet or a website, if you use cards or any other way
of publication it should only be your name and your
field of specialty and your office hours and the address
of the clinic that should appear there. No awards. The
act of the physician in publishing his or her personal
superiority, specially diplomas, certifications, or post
graduate training or there is a specific method of
treatment or operative techniques or former
connection with hospitals, they are not allowed to be
placed there in the advertisement in your cards. They
should be placed in the confines of your clinic or
residence.
But in the internet, you can put that, if you want
your training, qualifications, special certifications, and
diplomas you can post that.
A physician involved in multimedia must be well
informed of the matter under discussion.
Teleconference, the physician may be called to be part
of a panel you will give you diagnosis to a particular
patient. In here, you should only make a general opinion
and should refrain from making a specific diagnosis
because you are not actually seeing or examining the
patient. You can just giver a general opinion.
Any article that will be written by you, must always
be evidence based and you should disclose also with
any connection with any pharmaceutical company.
Companies that sponsor the study, it should appear
there in your study.
Physicians are prohibited commercially any
medical products or health products it is against Ethics.
Actually if you were to follow strictly the standards of
ethics any drug or pharmaceutical products that has
been advertised in the media should not anymore be
prescribed by practicing physician. It becomes unethical
drug once they were advertised in the TV or radio.
Duties of the physician to their colleagues and to
the medical profession
1. A physician should wave his professional fees to a
colleague, his or her spouse, children and parents
who are financially dependent on him.
2. When necessary, the attending physician should
always seek consultation from available appropriate
specialists.
3. The primary and consultant physician should always
observe proper protocols when referring patients
you can refer patient to another physician who
happens to be more expert in that field but you
should still remain as the primary physician. After
the referral, after the examination or treatment that
you want from that colleague then your colleague is
 obliged to return that patient to you
4. With the consent of the patient, in cases where the
physician during a temporary absence, the
substitute physician should treat the patient with
the same dedication and quality of care extended to
him or her own patient.
5. Whenever a physician makes a social or business
call on a patient who is under the care of another,
making comments pertaining to the case is
unethical. Unsolicited advice is prohibited
6. Whenever there is an irreconcilable difference in
opinion on the management of the case then refer
that to the specialty society,
7. When you are a member of an editorial board in
any medical journal, you should only accept this
position only if you are adequately qualified
8. All written articles and scientific presentations in all
scientific conference that you will present should
include the full disclosure of the pharmaceutical
support that you received for that study and it
should be independent of any commercial
influence.
9. A physician shall not receive any commission for
referring patients to a colleague or to the hospital.
Can receive gift of nominal value especially on
special occasions, birthday, christening,
10. Physician is encouraged to report to the Philippine
Medical Association or board of medicine personal
knowledge of any corrupt or dishonest conduct of
members of the medical profession.
11. Continuing medical education, conferences and
professional meeting must contribute to the
improvement of patient care. It must be organized
by medical societies.
12. Funds for commercial sources may be accepted for
the benefit of the medical association not for
personal benefit
13. Physician may accept reasonable subsidies from
health and other industries to support his
participation in continuing medical education.
14. The speakers or consultants of scientific meetings
or conferences are allowed also to accept from
pharmaceutical industries on honoraria.
15. Scholarship for physicians and medical students are
permissible as long as the selection of scholars is
made by organization or academic institutions that
are concerned.
16. Only generic names of drugs should be used during
the course of scientific conferences and activity.
Duties of the Physician to Allied Professions
Physicians should never pay nor receive
commission to or from any allied health worker for
cases referred.
The relationship of the physician with the health
product industry
1. The physician shall not derive any form of material
gain from product samples. If you receive a drug
sample, do not sell the sample to drug stores or to
patients. The content of the sample is for you to use
as a starter dose for your patient.
2. Physicians may participate in post marketing or
similar activities where they are asked to try new
products. Physicians should always provide the
patients proper information and should get their
consent before participating in clinical trials.
3. Only gifts of reasonable value can be received from
any drug company.
4. Physicians may request donations for a charitable
purpose for as long as it does not redound to his or
her personal benefits
5. Research activities should be ethically defensible,
socially responsible and scientifically valuable.
6. Any remuneration should be reasonable and should
not constitute any enticement from you.
Post notes: Isasali daw ni Doc sa Exam
- Active and Passive Euthanasia
- Application of Doctrine of Double Effect
- Meaning of the term non-Maleficent
- Off-labeled prescription term used to describe situation in which
the doctor writes a prescription of their drug with the intention it is
used to treat a condition which is not included in the manufacturers
labeling material.