Health minister has hidden agenda : CPB

The Consumer Protection Board yesterday opposed Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai's plan to withdraw pharmaceuticals from the list of dangerous products under the Product Liability Law, saying there is a hidden agenda favouring drug companies. The law is due to come into effect on Friday.

"Why did he not bring this issue before the CPB..... and why did he rush to issue Public Health Ministry regulations to exclude the liability of medical workers from unsafe products under the law?" said board member Jiraporn Limpananont. "Witthaya must hear from all stakeholders."

The new law was initiated by the juntainstalled government, aimed at protecting people from unsafe goods and helping them sue manufacturers for compensation. It lists drugs, pharmaceutical products and medical equipment as possible unsafe products, where patients could be at risk from sideeffects of some drugs.

Drug makers, importers, hospitals, clinicians, medical workers like doctors and nurses who prepare and prescribe drugs, pharmacists, drug stores, dentists who fit artificial teeth, and traditional Thai medicine practitioners also might have to take responsibility for unsafe products.

"The drug companies will take advantage of this regulation as they do not have to take any responsibility for the unsafe drugs," Jiraporn said, adding there were no documents or resolution from the recent Cabinet meeting to approve Witthaya's proposal to amend the law.

"If doctors or pharmacists prescribe a drug appropriately, they do not have to worry about liability," she added."If a doctor is afraid to prescribe a cancer drug, he should not be a doctor anymore."

Jiraporn said the Office of the Consumer Protection Board had overseen this law so any amendment must be conducted by the board, not the Public Health Ministry.

Activist and Foundation for Consumers committee member, Kannikar Kijitwatchakul said the consumer and patients network will today submit a petition of 10,000 names to the upper house requesting it consider enforcement of this law.

Dr Itthaporn Kanachareon, the medical council's assistant secretarygeneral, has insisted that this law does not favour the pharmaceutical companies but is aimed to protect medical workers who provide standard medical treatment.

"Consumers can file a law suit against a drug company or medical worker if they had been misdiagnosed or given an unsafe drug," he said.