Roxas bats for lower prices of medicines in new bill

In a bid to address the rising prices of medicines, Sen.Mar Roxas has filed a bill that would allow the Department of Health and the Department of Trade and Industry to implement the compulsory issuance of licenses by pharmaceutical companies and stores.

Roxas recently filed Senate Bill No. 2139, which would effectively lower the prices of medicines in the country. The bill also intends to help boost the purchasing power of the public.

With SB 2139, the government is empowered, through a more liberal and compulsory licensing process to import, manufacture, distribute or sell medicines based on a coordinated determination by the DOH and the DTI.

The new bill also aims to give Congress the power to help address the proliferation of fake drugs and the entry of other harmful pharmaceutical products in the country.

Roxas explained that the bill could be a well-timed safety measure that would help government do away with the high cost of safeguarding public health.

"Public health and progress are linked with one another. A weak and ailing workforce, and worse, one that could not afford medicine, will surely affect production in general and personal performance in particular," Roxas said.

The bill also allows experimentation, production and registration of generic drugs prior to patent expiration of drugs.

This "early working" doctrine incorporated in the bill will allow manufacturers to manufacture, distribute and sell immediately after the patent of the drug expires.

Statistics show that the Philippines averaged from 1997 to 2001 about $1.1 billion in drug spending, considered the highest in the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). Generic drugs in the Philippines are priced at about 50 to 30 percent lower than branded medicines.

Prior to winning a Senate seat last year, Roxas had jumpstarted a campaign dubbed "Presyong Tama" program during his term as DTI secretary.

The program was aimed at lowering the prices of medicine and broadening accessibility by making them available through the Botika ng Bayan. Purchases under this program resulted in individual savings of 20 to 70 percent from prices of banded medicine sold in major drugstores.

Other features of the bill include the prohibition of issuing temporary restraining orders (TRO) against parallel importations and government officials involved are given legal protection from harassment suits.