Prescriptions made only to obtain favors and gifts from pharmaceutical companies are "a heinous crime", rare even if unfortunately not completely cancelled. But today "there are weapons of contrast" and "many steps forward have been made". The president of the Federation of Italian doctors, Amedeo Bianco, elected senator in the latest consultations, is convinced of this. Increasingly precise monitoring of prescriptions, also with the introduction of the electronic recipe and recipe master data. In addition to clear rules for the training and information of white coats which today are no longer implemented exclusively through congresses and conferences (perhaps in exotic destinations) but also with new remote training tools. These are – Bianco underlines to Adnkronos Salute – the two main “weapons for making the meeting ground between the industry that produces innovation and the clinic that must apply them transparent”. The exchange between industry and professionals “is a physiological aspect, which cannot be denied – specifies Bianco – but it is a sector in which we must ask for clarity. And whoever goes wrong, according to a criminal profile, comes to terms with the judiciary ". The comparison - which defines the practice of accepting gifts or money, in exchange for the prescription of certain drugs or tools that are not always necessary - "is, in fact, a criminal offense, as well as a serious ethical violation", adds Bianco. "The watchful eye therefore - he continues - is that of the judiciary". Which does not lack the possibility of control.
“As far as prescriptions are concerned, in all Regions they are now codified by the register of prescriptions. It is no coincidence that prescription reports are periodically drawn up for each individual doctor. And not infrequently the white coats are also called to respond improperly, perhaps because a doctor has prescribed 2 doses more than a therapeutic plan considered reasonable". All this will be even better verifiable “with the electronic prescription. And generic medicines also represent another tool which in fact becomes a deterrent to 'single-choice' prescriptions. The entire Ecm system, the mandatory updating of health professionals, says the president of Italian doctors "is calibrated with very strong deterrents to conflicts of interest, which can arise, for example, by using training opportunities (or pseudo opportunities), such as travel, to carry out operations that, in the end, are only for promotion. The system has rigid, strict rules. Of course there can be circumventions. But those who do not want to respect the rules must stay out of the compulsory credit system”. Even the possibility of distance training, "within the rules and with the same respect for transparency" can represent a useful tool for 'clean' training. “There was – remembers Bianco – a great effort of transparency”. “It's not a problem – concludes Bianco – that the industry can sponsor a training event, but it must be clear, known to those who sit and listen to the information. There are rules that avoid non-sober forms and direct involvement of the industry. This could be done. And this, as a Medical Association and a National Ecm Commission, we have done. We had some results”.
