Desirous of maintaining ethical conduct in providing industrial and occupational health services, the following standards and guidelines were adopted by the members of the Philippine College of Occupational Medicine, Inc. (PCOM).

ARTICLE I
GENERAL PRINCIPLE

Section 1 - The PCOM being an Affiliate Society of the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) hereby adopts the Code of Medical Ethics of the Philippine Medical Association as its Code of Ethics.

ARTICLE II

Section 2 - The PCOM being the Specialty Society, and having peculiarities inherent in the nature of the practice of its members hereby adopts the following additional code.

DUTIES OF THE OCCUPATIONAL PHYSICIAN IN RELATION TO HIS SPECIALTY:

1. He should avoid allowing his medical judgment to be influenced by any conflict of interest. He should make only statements which reflect his objective observations and honest opinion.


2. He should accord the highest priority to the health and safety of every individual in the workplace.


3. He should strive to be familiar with the medical fitness requirements, and the hazards of the work environment and health and safety aspects of the products and operations involved in the particular industry or industries that he serves.


4. He should continuously improve his medical knowledge and should communicate new information and research findings to the medical community and to the PCOM in particular.


5. All members should seek consultation from experts, when necessary, on occupational health and safety problems of employees in their particular establishments.
   
6. The members should cooperate with government health agencies and personnel, as well as foster and maintain ethical relationship with other members of the health profession.


7. He should avoid solicitation of the use of his services by making claims, offering testimonials or implying results which may not be possibly achieved. He may, however, appropriately advise colleagues and others of services available.


8. He should treat as confidential all information gathered in the course of his practice, releasing them only when required by law; by overriding public health consideration; when authorized to do so by the patient through the instrumentality of a waiver, and to the employer with the direct or implied consent of the employee or applicant concerned.


9. Any member who is offered or requested to submit an offer for occupational health services by a company or establishment already being served by another physician or physicians should notify the incumbent physician or physicians and furnish a copy of such notification to the PCOM for purposes of record.


10. It is unethical for members to send unsolicited letters offering medical services, to the companies or establishments already being services by a physician or physicians.


11. It is unethical for members of PCOM to allow his/her name to be used fraudulently by any company for the purpose of merely complying with the provisions of the law.


12. It is unethical to issue fraudulent medical certifications in order to justify absence from work and false claims to the employer, SSS, GSIS, ECC, PHIC and such other entities.


13. It is unethical for members to unduly prolong confinement of patients without justifiable cause and only for personal benefits.


14. PCOM members should follow the highest standard of ethical procedures in the conduct of his behavior among his peers, colleagues and clients to promote and maintain good communication, understanding and professionalism.


15. Total application of the Code of Ethics of the PMA.