THE ELUSIVE DREAM FOR CHEAPER MEDICINES

The Philippine Star
06/19/09

If this were a telenovela, it would undoubtedly be a winner considering that this has been running on for more than four years. The battle to bring down the cost of medicines at more affordable levels has gone through so much wringing ever since it was introduced as a bill that no one is now sure if the law signed last year would actually deliver what it has been promising.

Those who had hoped to immediately see lower priced medicines with the signing and release of the law’s implementing rules and regulations (67 pages) late last year by the Department of Health are getting restless with all the waiting.

The exorbitantly high cost tag of many branded medicines is a burning issue for many of our sick countrymen, especially when it was learned that these same drugs are being sold in other countries like Thailand and India at drastically reduced prices.

It was basically on this information that Republic Act 9502, or the Universally Accessible and Affordable Quality Medicines Act of 2008, was signed into law on July 4, 2008. But Senator Mar Roxas, who authored the original bill, immediately warned of the emergence of a new battlefront, this time in implementing the law.

From day one, the good senator has been unrelenting in making sure that the spirit of the law is kept alive. Even in crafting the IRR, Roxas did his own parallel consultation with consumer groups, pharmaceutical and hospital organizations, and other stakeholders.

Of course, many say that Roxas – being an aspiring candidate in the coming presidential elections representing a segment of the opposition – has everything to gain should the intention of the law – which is to allow Filipinos access to quality and low-cost medicines – become a reality.

Understandably, Roxas’s efforts could be viewed by the administration bloc as self-serving, and while the law will greatly benefit many Filipinos, any support should be just token measures or potential bargaining chips.

Consumer vigilance needed

This said, consumers will need to be more vigilant if they actually want to benefit from the law’s many worthwhile provisions. Benefits should be forthcoming if the following provisions are faithfully implemented: maximum retail price and price regulation for certain medicines, more relaxed rules on the importation of cheaper drugs, manufacturers being required to market a generic counterpart for their branded medicines, and the strengthening of the Bureau of Food and Drugs.

Health secretary Francisco Duque is making good his promise to get the law moving in the right direction by having submitted for the President’s approval a list of drugs for inclusion in a preliminary maximum retail price list.

Those in the initial listing include anti-hypertensive, anti-thrombotic, anti-cholesterol, anti-diabetic, antibiotics/antibacterial and anti-neoplastic drugs.

Some of these branded drugs are the anti-hypertensive drug Norvasc (to P22.50 from the present P44.50), anti-diabetic Diamicron (P7.35 from P14.75), antibiotic Flagyl (P66 from P132), antibiotic Zithromax (P149.37 from P298.75), antibiotic Tazocin (P1,061.86 from P2,123.75), antibiotic Augmention suspension 60 ml (P179.50 from P359), Augmentin suspension 70 ml (P439.50 from P879), and anti-neoplastic Carboplatin 450 mg vial, (P2,117.61 from P4,857.15).

The President’s signature would immediately slash prices by 50 percent based on prevailing prices of the branded drugs. However, it is another story if the President would actually agree to calling for a maximum retail price for the mentioned medicines. This could very well end up to be another long, winding sub-plot in the law’s execution.

Bureaucratic delays

Local generics companies who had anticipated the law favoring the importation of cheaper drugs are raring to get their certificate of product registration from the BFAD to market lower-priced drugs. But bureaucratic red tape is seen to likely cause delays by another six to 12 months.

The BFAD system is apparently saddled by inefficiencies in processing procedures for new generic drug licensing. While RA 9502 now authorizes the BFAD to retain all the fees, fines, royalties and other charges it collects under the law, it will again take some time before the money will become available and useful.

On the other hand, small drug store owners through the Drug Stores Association of the Philippines had also been complaining about their difficulty in procuring lower priced medicines from the Philippine International Trading Corp.

With new drug stores now specializing in generic and more affordable medicines, the role of PITC as a reliable and efficient source of imported drugs is critical during the interim when other private importers are still getting their act together.

Politics again?

Speaking of interim measures, Roxas had been lobbying for an increase of P500 million in the DOH budget for 2008 that should have given the government agency urgently needed funds to purchase cheaper medicines. This did not even make to first base. Easily approved, however, was the P90 million for the Department of Public Works and Highways to widen and improve the Manila-Cavite Road.

Had the P500 million been approved, this would have helped the DOH in procuring cheaper drugs to treat those currently affected by the A(H1N1) virus.

It looks like there will be more politics not only in pursuit of the dream for cheaper medicines but also in facing the A(H1N1) pandemic.

FEU Tamaraws is FilOil pre-season champion

Anton Montinola’s FEU Tamaraws is off on a good start for this year’s collegiate basketball season. The team recently captured the trophy and brought home the P500,000.00 prize at stake in the recently concluded FilOil Flying V pre-season competitions.

Losing finalists University of the East Warriors, San Sebastian College Recolletos Stags and the San Beda Red Lions completed the round of four in what looks like a preview of the forthcoming UAAP and NCAA games.

Congratulations to Raffy Villavicencio, Mandy Ochoa and the entire FilOil Flying V Sports division for a well-managed and widely promoted pre-season tournament.

Watch this space or visit www.CollegiateChampionsLeague.net for updates on the ongoing nationwide collegiate basketball games and the 2009 Philippine Collegiate Championships.

Should you wish to share any insights, write me at Link Edge, 25th Floor, 139 Corporate Center, Valero Street, SalcedoVillage, 1227 MakatiCity. Or e-mail me at reydgamboa@yahoo.com. For a compilation of previous articles, visit www.BizlinksPhilippines.net.