Saturday, September 24, 2005

AMS Deplores False Medical Claims

By: Ambrosio R. Villorente

The Aklan Medical Society (AMS) headed by its president, Dr. Cynthia dela Cruz has requested the Advertising Board (ADBOARD) of the Philippines and the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) to act immediately on the specific misleading and deceptive advertisement content or false therapeutic claims of some product manufacturers. The AMS requested that these advertisement be corrected if not banned soonest from further media dissemination and to advice, correct and chastise the advertisement agency concerned for their blatant violation of the pertinent Bureau of Food and Drug Administration regulations.
In its resolution dated September 12, 2005, AMS expressed great alarm with the Aklan – wide “deceptive testimonials of food supplements/herbal products namely “Pau de Arco” capsules, and “Uno Dos Tres” capsules. These products “have no BFAD approved Therapeutic Claims and without the benefit of the usual standard scientific research and development studies to support their fantastic…false, and unfounded therapeutic claims”.
AMS officers and members expressed great concern of these unethical advertisement and the possible harmful effects of these “cure all” dietary supplement. According to Dr. Juliet Macahilas, “there is no single drug that can cure three or more ailments” at the same time in one person as some testimonials say over the airlanes. “These testimonials may provide a false sense of security among our people while being falsely treated by these alleged cure all food supplements,” Dr. Emmett L. Custodio pointed out.
As stated in the AMS resolution, “it is the duty of every physician to warn the public against the dangers and false pretensions of charlatans and quacks, since their deceitful practice may cause injury to health and even loss of life of the patient”. It may also add to their medical expenses unnecessarily.
AMS resolution also recommended to the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) and (ADBOARD) to deputize local component medical societies all over Philippines like the AMS to properly deputize to undertake the PMA and ADBOARD functions regarding advertisements of medical nature for screening recommendation and approval for airing or publishing of medical advertisement like food supplement and medicine.
It is informed that PMA and ADBOARD has signed a Memorandum of Agreement “to join hands in preventing advertising materials with misleading and unfounded medical claims from being advertised in the tri – media.” According to AMS the implementation of the above stated agreement in the provinces are the component medical societies like the AMS in Aklan in behalf of the PMA and ADBOARD. The PMA and ADBOARD do not have office in the provinces, hence, the urgent need to deputize the medical societies existing and functioning in cities and provinces nationwide. /MP mailto:madyaas_pen@yahoo.com

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