AZE.US
Some patients in Azerbaijan say doctors are prescribing expensive or unnecessary medicines linked to particular pharmaceutical companies, raising concerns about possible financial incentives behind certain treatment decisions.
Several Baku residents interviewed for a local report said they had been prescribed multiple drugs that produced little or no improvement. After seeking a second medical opinion, some were given different treatment plans that they said proved more effective.
One patient said she was prescribed three or four medicines costing a total of 50 to 60 manats, or about $29 to $35, but saw no positive result.
Medical expert Farid Musayibov said the term “brand-name medicine” is often misunderstood because all drugs are produced by pharmaceutical companies. The real concern, he said, arises when doctors favor specific products because of personal arrangements with manufacturers or distributors.
According to Musayibov, some doctors may receive financial benefits, gifts or other incentives in exchange for prescribing certain medicines. He stressed, however, that such arrangements vary and should be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Medical expert Adil Geybulla said pharmaceutical companies are increasingly working directly with pharmacies and distributors rather than doctors.
He said patients may arrive at a pharmacy with a prescription only to be told that the prescribed medicine is unavailable and that another product is supposedly better.
“No one has the right to replace a medicine prescribed by a doctor,” Geybulla said. “If the treatment is changed at the pharmacy, the doctor can no longer be held responsible for the outcome.”
Pharmacy workers also said drug companies regularly offer sales incentives, including free products, bonuses and financial rewards tied to the number of packages sold.
Member of Parliament Mushfig Mammadli said authorities are taking steps to reduce such practices. Doctors are now expected to write the active ingredient of a medicine in prescriptions rather than a specific commercial brand.
The introduction of electronic prescriptions is also intended to limit improper influence. Under the system, doctors indicate the required chemical substance, while patients and pharmacies choose among available brands containing the same active ingredient.
Supporters of the reform say it could reduce conflicts of interest, prevent the promotion of specific pharmaceutical products and give patients greater freedom to choose more affordable alternatives.
AZE.US