A study conducted by the Senate committee on trade and commerce has shown that four years after the ratification of Republic Act No. 9502 or the "Universally Accessible Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act of 2008," prices of some medicines have yet to go down.
At the bicameral hearing of the quality affordable medicine oversight committee on Monday, it was revealed that of the five drugs included in the study, only the price of one has decreased since 2008 — and it was not even because of the law.
“Norvasc lang ang bumaba. Nabanggit kanina na kaya bumaba ito [ay] dahil naalis na ‘yung patent protection at talagang normally bababa na ‘yun. Walang kinalaman ang batas sa pagbaba nun,” Sen. Manny Villar, chairman of the Senate committee on trade and commerce, told reporters in an interview after the hearing.
Other drugs that were part of the study were Plendil, which cost P23.76 before the passage of the Cheaper Medicine Law but is now P32.25; Ventolin (inhaler), which used to be P352 but is now P432.50; Ponstan, which used to be P26 but is now P29.75; and Bactrim, which used to be P17 but is now P33.75.
70-percent decrease
But according to Reinier Gloor, executive director of Pharmaceutical & Healthcare Association of the Philippines, prices of some medicines have gone down by as much as 70 percent since the law was passed. He said most of these medicines were those sourced from abroad.
“There are lots of Filipino companies… 125 local firms, some competing with multinational products. In certain products sourced from India or China and so forth, the reduction is 60 to 70 percent. For products made in Europe and the United States, the product price reduction goes down to 60 percent,” Gloor said.
Still, Villar said he would further study the implementation of the Cheaper Medicines Act.
“Hindi ako titigil hanggang hindi nakakagawa ng rekomendasyn ang aking komite dito sa implementasyon ng batas na ito. Mahalaga na bumaba ang presyo ng gamot, ito ang objective ng batas na ito at ‘yan ang dapat mangyari,” he said.
“Lobbied”?
Villar said it is “possible” that pharmaceutical companies had a hand — through intensive lobbying — in drafting the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the law.
“Possibleng nagkaron ng lobbying sa IRR pero wala akong inaakusahan. Ang sinasabi ko lang ay posible… Masyadong maaga para malaman kung sino pero definitely sa ating pagre-review may mga kumpanya na nagva-violate nito,” he said.
Villar said his committee would invite health officials who drafted the IRR to the third bicameral hearing.
Out with VAT
To further lower the prices of medicines, Villar proposed to remove the value-added tax on medicines.
“Pino-propose ko rin na tanggalin ang VAT sa gamot. Hindi naman talaga dapat na papatungan pa ng VAT ang mga gamot [dahil] talaga namang napakahalaga ito sa ating buhay, kaya hindi ko naiintindihan kung bakit naipasama yan sa VAT natin noon,” he said.
He said his son, Las Piñas Rep. Mar Villar, has already filed a bill for this, noting that tax measures must originate from the House of Representatives.
Free medicines for cancer patients
Meanwhile, Villar also proposed to provide free medicines specifically to cancer patients.
“Ako’y talagang nag-propose noon pa na dapat itong mga gamot sa cancer ay ibigay ng gobyerno na libre. Naniniwala akong kaya ng budget 'yan,” he said.
The senator claimed that the government may opt to buy in bulk to avail of discounts.
“Ang isang Pilipino ay hindi dapat mamatay dahil sa cancer na hindi lamang nagkakaroon ng pagkakataon [makatikim ng gamot],” he said. – KBK, GMA News
Cheaper Medicines Act not properly implemented — Villar
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
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. ###
Reference:
On the 3rd anniversary of Cheaper Medicines Act
Eleanor M. Nolasco, RN
Spokesperson, Consumers Action for Empowerment
Mobile: 0922 828 0928
Related Posts
Three years of Cheaper Medicine Law has not made drugs affordable
“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.
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.
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. ###
Reference:
On the 3rd anniversary of Cheaper Medicines Act
Eleanor M. Nolasco, RN
Spokesperson, Consumers Action for Empowerment
Mobile: 0922 828 0928
Related Posts
Three years of Cheaper Medicine Law has not made drugs affordable
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.
Related Posts
Three years of Cheaper Medicine Law has not made drugs affordable
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 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.
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.
Related Posts
Three years of Cheaper Medicine Law has not made drugs affordable
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