House to probe dumping of drugs banned in other countries

MANILA, Philippines – The House committee on health will investigate reports that drugs banned in other countries are being sold in the Philippines.

Reps. Vincent Crisologo of Quezon City, Reno Lim of Albay and Elpidio Barzaga of Cavite sought the inquiry in the wake of reports that many doctors continue to prescribe drugs found to have harmful side effects on patients.

Crisologo said he received information on the continued sale in the country of “prescription and non-prescription drugs that have been recalled, withdrawn or banned in the United States and other countries.”

“One example is Champix (generic name: varenicline). The Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) has issued a warning that this anti-smoking drug may cause mood swings and erratic behavior,” he said.

He said the drug has been blamed for several suicide attempts in the US.

“Doctors should no longer prescribe it and authorities should impose sanctions on those who tell their patients to use it,” he added.

Lim said medical professionals should not endorse products that BFAD has banned or has cautioned the public against using.

“Endorsing products suspected of having negative effects or have no therapeutic value is deception. It is grand deception if doctors do the endorsement,” he said.         

Barzaga said it is BFAD’s responsibility to see to it that doctors heed its warnings against the use of certain drugs.

A week before the BFAD issued the warning against Champix, Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Villafuerte filed a resolution asking the health committee to inquire into the distribution of medicine suspected of having side effects far worse than the illness some products try to cure.

“It is a fact that there are prescription drugs that carry with them risks and side effects, and that the side effects of certain prescription and non-prescription drugs can actually be horrific and deadly,” Villafuerte said.

He cited a report of the US-based Center for Disease Control, which showed that unintentional death from “adverse reactions or side effects from prescription drugs” now ranks second among accidental deaths in America.