How do conflicts of interest harm patients and health systems?
​Healthcare providers hold a position of trust and power, as patients rely on them to use their medical knowledge to make recommendations that maximise the patient’s benefit. When healthcare provider’s decision may be influenced by the potential for personal gain, such as received gifts or bribes in exchange for prescribing certain tests or medicines, the healthcare provider experiences a conflict of interest. The healthcare provider may have to choose between what maximising their personal gain and what is best for their patient.
Healthcare providers making hidden deals to take incentives from pharmaceutical companies for prescribing medicines is common in a range of countries, including Pakistan. The prescription of unnecessary or overly expensive medicines results in higher costs for patients, with most impact on the poorest patients, increases patients’ risks from side-effects, and tarnishes the reputation of healthcare providers.
This short video shows the negative impacts of conflict of interest driven by deal-making with pharmaceutical companies on patients and healthcare providers themselves.​
Watch our compelling videos on ethical practice in medical care. These stories and experts highlight the importance of a compassionate, fair and just health system.
Explore our research on conflicts of interest in healthcare, uncovering the impacts on patient care, costs and health systems.
Join the network by sending an email with an expression of interest to patientsnotprofits@lshtm.ac.uk