Newsmaker: Cheaper Medicines in the Philippines
The Cheaper Medicines Bill was passed by the House of Representatives in December 2007. And after four months of discussions in bicameral(Senate and House) committee, it now finally ready to be ratified by Congress. Then it will be signed into law by President Arroyo before May 1.
The long delay was caused by the stand-off between the Senate and the House contingents in the committee. The Senate members, led by Sen Mar Roxas, wanted to change two things in the bill:
- the removal of the generic-only prescription, wherein doctors were only allowed to write the generic name of the drug in their prescriptions - no brand names
- the creation of the drug price regulatory board which would allow the government to dictate the prices of medicines.
In the end, the committee had to reach a decision. They agreed on allowing doctors to continue to prescribe branded drugs. And for the second part of the stand-off, their compromise was that the drugs sold in pharmacies all over the country will have a ceiling price as mandated by a regulatory board and approved by the President.
We really hope that this new law will help give us cheaper, but good-quality, medicines. Data shows that we have the second highest prices of medicines in Asia, second only to Japan and that the prices of medicines here are 18 times more expensive than in Canada.
Quote of the Day: Andre Agassi
Our quote today comes from Andre Agassi who turns 38 today. He dropped out of school and turned pro at 16. In his 20-year tennis career, he won 60 singles titles, eight Grand Slam crowns and an Olympic gold medal.
“Nothing can substitute for just plain hard work. I had to put in the time to get back. And it was a grind. It meant training and sweating every day. But I was completely committed to working out to prove to myself that I still could do it.” — Andre Agassi
Life is Fun: World Dance Day
Today is the 26th annual celebration of World Dance Day. It is organized by the International Dance Council (CID) and it aims to focus the public’s attention on the art of dance. Dance Day events may include special performances, open-door courses, public rehearsals, lectures, exhibitions, articles in newspapers and magazines, dance evenings, radio and TV programs, visits, street shows, etc. Here’s a little story about a dancing duck:
A circus owner walked into a bar to see everyone crowded about a table watching a little show. On the table was an upside down pot and a duck tap dancing on it. The circus owner was so impressed that he offered to buy the duck from its owner. After some wheeling and dealing, they settled for $10,000 for the duck and the pot.
Three days later the circus owner runs back to the bar in anger, “Your duck is a ripoff! I put him on the pot before a whole audience, and he didn’t dance a single step!”
“So?” asked the ducks former owner, “did you remember to light the candle under the pot?”
The Power of the Word
Your right hand saves me, O Lord. - Psalm 138
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About this post:
This is the daily post of Lester Galvez Cavestany entitled Perlas. The information here is presented to you in bite-sized servings so that it’s quick and fun to read. It has four parts: 1) Quote of the Day contains history, quotes and biography tidbits; 2) Life is Fun aims to give you a healthy dose of medicinal laughter; 3) Newsmaker is the author’s take on news and views that matter to you; 4) And lucky last, we have The Power of the Word which can serve as your daily spiritual bread.
If you enjoyed reading this post, come back to this site every day and be sure to share Perlas with your friends.
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References:
Newsmaker:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view_article.php?article_id=133167
http://www.bayanihan.org/article.php/20071218180738215
Quote of the Day:
http://www.oprah.com/tows/slide/200709/20070904/slide_20070904_350_107.jhtml
http://thinkexist.com/quotes/andre_agassi/
Life is Fun:
http://www.cid-unesco.org/html/cid_danceday.htm
http://www.ahajokes.com/bar011.html
The Power of the Word:
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/readings/042908.shtml
Visit www.filipinovoices.com for more socio-political blogs.
5 Responses to “Cheaper Medicines Law, Andre Agassi and World Dance Day (Perlas)”
It seems like the opposite of what should have been done became the compromise in passing the Cheaper Medicines Bill. The biggest flaw of the Generics Act, if “pro-poor” lobbyists are to be believed, was that doctors could still prescribe branded drugs. On the other hand, the existence of a price regulation board runs into many legal questions - all validly raised by the pharmaceutical industry.
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Pare, I agree with you. Some doctors have expressed their concerns that generic drugs are not of the same quality as the branded ones. This has definitely tainted the people’s perception of generic drugs. In countries where generic drugs have been successful, the government has made efforts to market them well and to ensure quality control.Malaking bagay din ang media syempre.
The cheaper medicine bill is totally wrong. Why dont they just stock up the government hospitals with cheap medicines and dispensed free to the poor and likewise in the case of the Veterans Memorial Hospital for the retirees. No need to pass a bill.
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Let’s wait and see what happens after the Cheaper Medicines Bill is passed and implemented.
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This is not to say that generic drugs are the same as branded drugs: the difference between brands, after a particular medicine has lost patent protection, is in the “filler”.
For me, the biggest problem facing the challenge of lowering the price of medicine in this country is that too many people depend on it for their livelihood. The provision that allows doctors to prescribe branded drugs, for example, keeps the medreps in business. However, the price we pay for medreps keeps the cost of medicine at high levels. No company will bear the cost of this service, nor should they be expected to.
In the end, Valdemar’s proposal makes the most sense on paper. It is government’s burden to give more to the poor. Factor in a long history of profiteering from every small thing that government can purchase, and this proposal is doomed - at least until we can shore up our governance and public accountability.
In the end, perhaps the Cheaper Medicines Bill will be like EPIRA - it keeps the price of power high, but at least there are convenience stores in the gasoline stations.
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