DOH eyes measures to bring down rising Tamiflu prices

MANILA, Philippines - Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Thursday said his department will coordinate with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to bring down prices of Tamiflu medicines to make them more affordable to people at "high risk" for Influenza A(H1N1). GMANews.TV reported yesterday that the prices of flu drugs and vaccinations had tripled in some places, leading to charges of price gouging in a time of crisis. In an interview over radio dzBB, Duque also said they will limit the distribution by local health units of Tamiflu capsules to "high risk" groups. Duque earlier said high-risk groups include those with uncontrolled diabetes, frank cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; organ transplant recipients; those who are immuno-compromised, those with chronic liver and kidney disease; people suffering from other infections like HIV/AIDs and tuberculosis; pregnant women; and the very young and the elderly. "May ganoon, P150 pero baka mapagusapan namin ni Sec. [Peter] Favila kung pwede ibaba din ang presyo nito, kaagaran pagbaba ng presyo [We are aware Tamiflu is being sold in drugstores for P150 but I am considering talking with Trade Secretary Peter Favila to see if they can bring down the prices of the medicine]," Duque said in an interview on dzBB radio. Duque said he has ordered Tamiflu pre-positioned in regional offices, and allocated at the provincial level. But he said the distribution of the capsules will be limited to high-risk groups who have complications. He said the "mild cases," which comprise 99.8 percent of A(H1N1) cases, only need to rest and practice social distancing. "Mga 3-5 araw tapos ka na (For mild cases, you will recover in three to five days)," Duque said. Duque also cautioned the public against prematurely reacting to news reports that some pharmaceutical firms have come out with possible vaccines for A(H1N1), saying such medicines still have to undergo clinical testing lest they produce allergic responses that can be deadly to some people. But Duque said the Health department will propose a supplemental budget to buy vaccines for A(H1N1) once they become available for public consumption, as they still have no idea how much makers of the vaccines will charge for their products. "Saka tayo mag-identify ng budget. Kasi ngayon di mo alam magkano ang budget, paano presyo niyan pag walang presyo mahirap magsalita ng presyo eh [We’ll draw up the budget later, when the price comes out. At this point we do not know the price, so we cannot draw up a budget]," he said. Not tarrying Duque said they see no problem getting Malacañang and Congress to pass a supplemental budget for the A(H1N1) vaccine. Duque downplayed criticisms the government is tarrying in buying A(H1N1) vaccines, saying the distribution of the vaccines is subject to a formula by the World Health Organization. "Wala naman sa atin kung ilan ang naibibigay sa unang production. Baka may mga ilang percent. Ang WHO magbibigay ng allocation formula, hindi lahat basta ka pipila at kukuha ng share mo. Pag-aaralan ng WHO kung sino ang priority countries na dapat bigyan para maging equitable," he said. [It is not up to us but up to the WHO to draw up an allocation formula. It is not that simple to just line up and get your share. The WHO will identify priority countries to ensure equitable distribution.] Duque also backed a reported appeal by the WHO to pharmaceutical firms to give a portion of their vaccines free to the poor, saying it is part of corporate social responsibility. A 49-year-old Filipino woman with a pre-existing heart disease was the first A(H1N1)-related fatality in the Philippines and in Asia. The woman, an employee at the House of Representatives, died of heart failure on June 19. The number of A(H1N1) cases in the Philippines has swelled up to 604, after the DOH listed 131 additional Influenza A(H1N1) cases Wednesday, the biggest increase in a span of 24 hours since the department monitored confirmed cases last May 21. The DOH has declared a "low-level" community outbreak in some Metro Manila schools as most of the cases are from the nation's capital. The World Health Organization said there are 55,867 cases and 238 deaths around the world as of Wednesday. - GMANews.TV