Amid controversy over fake and substandard medicines, an expert calls for specialized training for health professionals to strengthen medicine oversight in the Philippines. Dr. Jaemin Park argues that doctors are not automatically equipped for population-level decisions. This is crucial in societies with low health literacy.
Dr. Jaemin Park, an adjunct professor at the University of the Philippines College of Public Health and managing partner of Heal Venture Lab in Singapore, opines on the need for specialized training in handling medicines. In his article published on February 5, 2026, in Rappler, recent scandals involving fake and substandard medicines have sparked public outrage and demands for stricter enforcement, but he argues this falls short.
He explains that responsibility lies not with consumers, who often lack the education to distinguish safe drugs from dangerous ones, but with the system. Systems fail due to weak professional standards, particularly in critical decisions like interpreting clinical trial evidence, weighing benefits against risks, and monitoring post-approval safety.
"There is a persistent assumption that medical doctors are automatically equipped to make these decisions. They are not," Park states. Doctors' clinical training focuses on diagnosing and treating individual patients, not governing medicines at a population level, which involves aggregate data, regulatory thresholds, and post-market surveillance.
In advanced systems, senior roles in pharmaceutical companies or oversight require specialized training in pharmaceutical medicine. This covers clinical trial design, critical evidence appraisal, safety monitoring, and ethical boundaries in promotion. In low health literacy societies like the Philippines, professional judgment serves as the last defense.
Park calls for structured, advanced training for those with decision-making authority over medicines, including periodic re-training. This goes beyond post-harm accountability to building capacity that prevents bad decisions upfront. Higher standards benefit patients and the industry alike.
