Tuesday, October 09, 2007 Malig: Dong’s support for cheaper medicines bill By Jun A. Malig Cognition
IT IS good to know that our Kapampangan congressman, Pampanga third district Representative Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr. is among the growing number of legislators who support the proposed cheaper medicines law, which should finally bring down the exorbitant prices of medicines and make it affordable for the Filipino masses.
A page 2 story of this paper last Sunday stated that Cong Dong had filed House Bill 2174, which is now a part of the scores of measures being consolidated by congressmen to draft its final version of the bill.
I’ve learned that a total of 21 bills were filed in the 14th Congress seeking to reduce the current cost of medicines in the country. Among those who filed their own bills are Reps. Ferjenel Biron (HB 01); Eduardo Gullas (HB 307); Antonio del Rosario (HB 1199); Teodoro Locsin (HB 672); Arthur Pingoy (HB 717); Junie Cua (HB 764); Prospero Nograles (HB 951); Dato Arroyo (HB 1706); Monico Puentevella (HB 1244); Ana Theresia Hontiveros-Baraquel (HB 954); Jose Antonio Roxas (HB 1654); Justin Chipeco (HB 1381); Raul del Mar (HB 1398); and Joseph Emilio Abaya (HB 1758).
Cong Dong’s bill seeks the creation of a drug price regulatory board “that will monitor the prices of medicines and can fix the maximum retail prices of essential drugs.”
The Pampanga lawmaker said a substantial portion of the Filipinos’ earnings is being spent to high-priced, medicines.
Lower prices of medicines, he added, would enable people to spend more on food, shelter, education and other needs.
More than a year ago, Cong Dong’s predecessor, former congressman Reynaldo Aquino, disclosed that medicines are being sold much higher in the Philippines than in many other countries. He said if a medicine can be bought at P10 per tablet/capsule its actual price should only be 60 centavos.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has certified the cheaper medicines bill as “urgent” and the Legislative-Executive Advisory Council has given it a “priority” status.
Considered as the “mother” in the Lower Chamber is Representative Biron’s HB 01 bill known as the “Cheaper Medicines Act of 2007.” It is the same bill that died in the 13th Congress when it was still known as HB 6035.
HB 01, HB 2174 and the other 19 similar or related bills all seek to impose price regulation on medicines and amend certain provisions of Republic Act 8290 (Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines). Only through the amendment of the existing law would the Filipino masses be enabled to purchase medicines at a much lower retail price.
Proponents of the important measure have noted that the supposedly “friendly competition” among the 300 pharmaceutical firms that manufacture or import registered drugs in the country does not translate to cheaper prices of medicines.
The Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP) has been reportedly claiming that the passage of the cheaper medicines bill would not only weaken intellectual property rights protection but could also open the floodgates to fake drugs entering the country -- a claim repeatedly disputed by the proponents of the bill.
PHAP’s officers and trustees include high ranking officials of Abbott Laboratories; Pfizer, Inc.; Transfarma; Schering-Plough Corp.; Zuellig Pharma; GlaxoSmithKline; and Boehringer Ingelheim. Novartis and other big pharmaceutical companies and some drug stores like Mercury Drug Corporation are members of PHAP.
In the Senate, Senator Mar Roxas has said the House and the Upper Chamber’s versions of the bill would be reconciled before Christmas. But he added that the people should remain vigilant against any attempt by lobbyists from multinational drug corporations to derail the passage of the proposed law.
The Upper Chamber’s version of the bill is Roxas’ Senate Bill 1658 known as the “Quality Affordable Medicines Act of 2007.” It is expected to be passed by the senators on third and final reading anytime soon.
Congress is set to go on recess next week. It will resume on November 5 and will adjourn again for about a month on December 22.
