Cheaper Medicines Act: An Illusion

Only a small segment of the Filipino population has access to medicines. On June 6, 2011, three years after the signing of the Universally Accessible Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act of 2008 (Republic Act No. 9502), cheaper and quality medicines remain out of reach to majority of the Filipinos.

“Cheaper Medicines Act is an illusion. Eight out of 10 Filipinos still are not able to buy life-saving medicines,” said Eleanor Nolasco, Consumers’ Action for Empowerment spokesperson. The Philippines still ranks next to Japan in terms of high drug prices in Asia. The act failed to address exorbitant drug prices and failed to promote and ensure access of majority of the people to quality affordable medicines.

“From the start, the Cheaper Medicines Act had its inherent flaws and was not expected to effectively bring down the prices of medicines,” remarked Nolasco. To support their position, she stated the following:

First, the law while avowed to help generic firms to develop quality and affordable generic medicines does not truly support the development of a local drug industry. The law favors parallel importation of branded medicines from countries where these are more affordable even if their generic drug equivalents are available in the Philippines. Parallel importation promotes dependence and virtually kills whatever is left of the Filipino drug industry.

Second, the law does not address the monopoly control of transnational corporations on patents. Though 80 to 90 percent of essential drugs sold in the Philippines is already off-patent, their generic equivalents still cannot be manufactured and made available to the people. To date, local drug manufacturers produce only 200 of 600 essential medicines. The government fails to support local drug manufacturers.

Third, the price of medicines has been left to unregulated free-market forces. The President of the Philippines was given the power to set price ceilings of medicine but transnational drug corporations in the marketing, distributing and pricing of medicines still maintain the control of drug prices.

Nolasco said, “The Consumers’ Action for Empowerment demands the Aquino government to remedy the problem of unabated high prices of medicines through provision of free essential medicines to the poor majority in public hospitals and government health centers, through nationalization of local drug industry and through creation of drug price regulatory board democratically represented by stakeholders.”

Access to essential medicine is part of people's inherent right to health. Unfortunately, in a society where the nation's resources become exclusive privilege of a few, that right is never freely given – it is fought for.

The need of Filipinos for efficacious and affordable medicines can only be met when a strong national health care system is in place and under a government whose policies are in the best interest of the people. ###

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Reference:

On the 3rd anniversary of Cheaper Medicines Act
Eleanor M. Nolasco, RN
Spokesperson, Consumers Action for Empowerment
Mobile: 0922 828 0928

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Cheaper Medicine Law, Bigo at Walang pakinabang sa Mamamayan

Noong ika-6 ng Hunyo taong 2008, naipasa ang Republic Act No. 9502 o mas kilala ngayon sa tawag na Universally Accessible and Quality Medicines Act of 2008. Naglalayon itong ibaba ang presyo ng mga pangunahing gamot sa bansa upang matugunan ang pangangailangan ng mga Pilipino. Nabigyan ng pag-asa ang mga mamamayan sa kabila ng maraming butas o depekto ng naturang batas. Tatlong taon matapos maipasa ang batas na ito, natugunan nga ba ang pangangailangan ng mga tao at nagbunga ba ang pag-asang ipinuhunan ng mamamayan?

Walo sa sampung Pilipino ang walang kakayahang bumili ng mga mahahalagang gamot para sa kanilang mga karamdaman. Karamihan sa mga sakit na ito ay madali sanang lunasan kung mayroon lamang sapat na gamot at maayos na serbisyong pangkalusugan. Tatlong taon na ang nakalipas ngunit walang naramdamang pagbaba ng presyo ng gamot ang mamamayan. Mas lumala pa ang kalagayan dahil sa ibang pampublikong ospital tulad ng Philippine General Hospital at Philippine Heart Center ay kulang ang mga gamot para sa mahihirap na pasyente.

Sa 600 na gamot na wala nang patente sa bansa, 200 lamang ang kayang ilabas ng lokal na industriya sa merkado. Hindi sinusuportahan ng gobyerno ang mga local drug industry manufacturers sa bansa. Sa halip, mas marami ang mga gamot na ina-angkat mula sa ibang bansa. Dahil dito ay bumagsak din ang lokal na industriya ng gamot.

Sa kabila ng mga price ceilings na itinalaga, ang mga dayuhan pa rin ang nagdidikta ng presyo ng mga branded na gamot na siya namang patuloy na ina-angkat ng bansa. Alipin ang gobyerno nga mga transnasyunal na korporasyong banyaga. Hinahayaan ng gobyerno ang monopolyo ng mga dayuhan sa industriya ng gamot. Ito ay nagdudulot ng mahal na presyo ng mga gamot na 8 hanggang 12 na beses na mas mahal. Isa itong malaking dagok sa mahihirap na mamamayan.

Sa makatuwid, walang kapakinabangang naidulot ang batas na ito sa malwak na mamamayang Pilipino. Lalo lamang nitong pinalala ang kalagayan ng serbisyong medikal sa bansa. Sa halip na tinatamasa ng mamamayan ang kalusugan at iba pang serbisyong pampubliko ay tila ang gobyerno pa mismo ang nagkakait ng karapatang ito.

Kailangan ng mamamayang Pilipino ng maayos na serbisyong medikal na kayang tugunan ang kanilang pangangailangan. Kung hindi papahalagahan ng gobyerno at ng kinaukulan ang pangangailangan at karapatang ito ay patuloy na lalala ang serbisyong pangkalusugan.

Kailangang tuloy-tuloy na ipaglaban ng mamamayan ang karapatan sa kalusugan at igiit sa administrasyong Aquino na pakinggan ang mga panawagan para sa libreng gamot sa mga pampublikong ospital.

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