The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association (PReMA) is staging a multi-stakeholder forum on "Good Governance in Thailand's Public Health and Drug System," aiming to promote mutual values, morality, conscience, and ethics, through establishing a culture of good governance that will, in turn, help to improve Thailands score and rank in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association (PReMA) aims to involve related stakeholders in sharing their insights, progress, and code of conduct for good governance in the pharmaceutical industry and public health through the forum entitled "Good Governance in Thailand's Public Health and Drug System". This forum provides a platform for open discussion on governance issues across the sector. On this special occasion, Admiral Narong Pipatanasai, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the National Drug System Development Committee, will preside over the forum, deliver an opening speech, and addresses the Thai public sector's policy on good governance in the healthcare system.
"In the past two years, the government has driven the policy on public administration with good governance to prevent corruption and misconduct in the public sector, building the standard of morale, ethics and good governance and making sure that everyone realizes this is an emergency national agenda. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Health has the policy to develop and promote good governance in the Ministry of Public Health, as well as the public health organizations to ensure good health for the people, happiness for the authorities, and a sustainable health system," said Admiral Narong Pipatanasai, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the National Drug System Development Committee.
"I appreciate the collaboration between the public sector, private sector and professional councils totally 26 stakeholders who jointly signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to develop ethical measures for drugs sales promotion in Thailand, ensuring a transparent system and the ability to cross-check between suppliers and recipients in the system. However, the challenge is to put these ethical measures into practice. If all sectors work in a way to support each other, share knowledge and experiences, and be firm in building concrete good governance in the system. I believe that this will benefit people to gain access to medicine, vaccines, and necessary medical supplies, by focusing on proper uses of medicine, of which will also help reducing drug resistance." Admiral Narong Pipatanasai added.
Notable experts from various related sectors will be joining the forum, including Prof. Dr. Prasit Wattanapa, Chairman of Rational Drug Use Subcommittee, who called attention to the misuse of drugs saying, "Medicine is one of four basic needs that everyone must be involved with throughout their life, however, we still see "irrational use of medicines" such as over-prescription and overuse. The repercussion of these misuses of drugs will bring the loss of assets and life."
"To avoid these irrational uses of medicines, all sectors should start an integrated prevention procedure, beginning with the private sector as the upstream and medical personnel as the midstream, making sure both sectors remain ethical, righteous, impartial and unbiased when it comes to sharing information, while ensuring that the Thai people as the downstream will also receive fair medical treatments. Clearly, it is better to avoid the irrational use of medicines in the present than having to solve issues of misuse in the future."
Besides each sector's effort, there has also been an ongoing collaboration between related parties in the medical field, which culminated in 26 stakeholders from the public sector and private sector signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU), led bythe Rational Drug Use Subcommittee and the National Drug System Development Committee, on 25 March 2015, to reinforce good governance in the drug system and develop ethical measures involving the promotion of medical supply distribution in Thailand. These ethical measures have also officially been endorsed by the National Drug System Development Committee in early 2016.
Pharmacist Busakorn Lerswatanasivalee, PReMA Chief Executive Officer, as the organizer of the event, said "This forum is a significant opportunity for every related party in the drug system to discuss the progress of good governance, while sharing the good examples of best practice in the pharmaceutical industry. And when all parties perform righteously and watch one another, it will help drive our society in a better direction, besides improving the health and drug system. All of these reflect PReMA's code ofpractice and its ethical business operation, which conforms to the government's National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC)'sprotective measures."
PReMA is a non-profit organization, which has been established and been operating for 46 years. It is committed to promoting good health and quality of life for the Thai people and to providing them access to medicine manufactured based on innovation and continuous research and development. It also advocates citizens' rights while encouraging medical professionals to use high quality medicines that provide the most effective treatments whilst upholding ethicial business practice.