DOH readies list of medicines eyed for price ceiling

MANILA, Philippines - A year after the Cheaper Medicines Act or Republic Act 9502 was signed into law, the Department of Health will finally recommend to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo this week the first batch of medicines on which it will impose maximum retail price. Health Secretary Francisco Duque presented the list of 22 medicines at the hearing of the joint congressional oversight committee on quality affordable medicines. He said they chose the medicines that would have MRP based on needs of the public, their price in the country compared to their costs in other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (Asean), their generic counterparts, and on market studies. He said the DOH believes that competition among drug companies gives the best price and best quality of medicines. “However, in instances where the lack of competition has effected prices of medicines to be inordinately high that it limits access, especially for the poor, then it shall under Republic Act 9502 exert its power to regulate prices for drugs need to address common health concerns," Duque said. He added after six months into the implementation of the law, the DOH and the Department of Trade and Industry have studied and thoroughly examined that there is limited access to some medicines that need to be subjected to MRP as these address public health concerns. The DOH will recommend putting a ceiling on the prices of anti-hypertensive, anti-thrombotic, anti-cholesterol, anti-diabetic, antibiotics/antibacterial, antineoplastic. Duque said the maximum retail price (MRP) would be 50 percent of the price of a leading brand and would be reviewed after three months of implementation. He said the guidelines on labeling and monitoring would be prepared and be out within the month. Medicines subjected to MRP are: *anti-hypertensives: amlodipine 5mg, telmisartan 40 mg, irbesartan 150mg *anti-thrombotic: clopidogrel 75 mg *anti-cholesterol: atorvastatin 10 mg *anti-diabetic: gliclazide 80 mg *antibiotics/antibacterial: piperacillin + tazobactam 4.5 g power for injection (vial); ciprofloxacin 500 mg; azithromycin 500 mg; metronidazole suspension 125 mg/5ml (60 ml); augmentin 156.25 mg/5ml suspension 60 ml; augmetin 1 g tab; augmentin 228.5 mg/5 ml suspension 70 ml; augmentin 312.5 mg/5ml suspension 60 ml; augmentin 375 mg tablet; augmentin 457 mg/ 5ml suspension 35 ml; augmentin 457 mg/5ml suspension 70 ml; augmentin 625 mg tab *antineoplastic: bleomycin sulfate 15 mg vial/amp; carboplatin 150 mg vial; carboplatic 450 mg vial; cisplatic 10 mg powder vial; cyclophosphamide 50 mg tablet; cyclophosphamide 200 mg vial; cyclophosphamide 500 mg vial; cyclophosphamide 1000 mg vial; cytarabine 100 mg/ml amp (IV/SC); cytarabine 1 g vial (IV inf); cytaribine 500 mg (IV inf); doxorubicin hydrochloride 10 mg powder vial; doxorubin hydrochloride 50 mg powder vial; etoposide 20 mg/ml, 5 ml amp/vial; mesna (uromitexan) 400 mg amp; mercaptopurine 50 mg tablet; methothexate sodium 2.5 mg tablet and methothexate sodium 50 mg vial. Asked by reporters on the observation of senators that the implementation of MRP was delayed, Duque said they (NEDA and other health officials) needed to consult with the different stakeholders before they were able to come up with the list. Implementing the law is not simple; we need to have consultations so the stakeholders will have sense of ownership so that what we will impose will be supported, Duque said. He added that the list of medicines with MRP will grow longer as they only prioritized non-communicable diseases which kills six out of 10 patients. He believed the President will approve the list and he will personally appeal to her to do so. President Arroyo signed the Cheaper Medicines Act June 6 last year. - Amita Legaspi, GMANews.TV