DOH: Sulit cards won't exempt Pfizer from cheaper medicines law

MANILA, Philippines — The “Sulit cards" of pharmaceutical firm Pfizer Inc. are not a form of bribery, but will not be an exemption from the Cheaper Medicines Law, the Department of Health (DOH) stressed. DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III said any discount offered by the “Sulit cards" should be separate from the coverage of the maximum retail price (MRP) for essential medicines. “Noong unang minungkahi sa DOH ang ‘Sulit cards’ na yan, sinabi ko ok din yan pero ibabaw ng MRP na presyo. Meron tayong price reduction, kung gusto ninyo dagdagan with ‘Sulit cards,’ walang problema sa amin yan. Pero di pwede ang siya lang ang pamamaraan ng pagbagsak ng presyo ng gamut," Duque said in an interview on dzXL radio. [When Pfizer first proposed the ‘Sulit card’ to us, I said it was okay but it should be apart from the coverage of the Cheaper Medicines Act. It cannot be an exemption from the law.]" Besides, he said the “Sulit cards" have limitations, as they cover only the firm’s products and there are few card readers nationwide. Even if Pfizer distributes 10 million cards, he said these will be useless if there are only some 1,000 card readers. On the other hand, a separate report on dzXL quoted Duque as saying the DOH does not consider the cards as bribery. Pfizer earlier placed full-page ads in several Metro Manila newspapers denying claims by Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile that the “Sulit card" was a form of bribery to President Arroyo not to sign an executive order halving prices of medicines. In its “open letter to the Filipino people," Pfizer said it was “deeply concerned" over the accusations of bribery in recent news reports. “We categorically deny this allegation and consider this a grave affront to our reputation ... We have always sought to provide wider access to our high quality medicines," it said. Pfizer said it volunteered to partner with the DOH to offer “Sulit cards" to five million more patients in national and local government hospitals and community health centers by yearend. “These discussions began in May 2009, prior to the announcement of the list of products subject to maximum retail price. We are saddened that our sincere desire to help has been misconstrued as bribery," it said. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has been accused by the political opposition of colluding with drug companies after she agreed not to sign a proposed executive order putting limits on the retail prices of at least essential drugs. The draft order prepared by the DOH listed 21 essential drugs, or life-saving medicines needed by a big number of patients. Among these are anti-hypertensive drug Norvasc, which the draft executive order wants to be lowered to P22.50 from P44.50; the anti-diabetic Diamicron (to P7.35 from P14.75); antibiotic Zithromax (to P149.37 from P298.75); and antibiotic Augmentin suspension 60 ml (to P179.50 from P359). According to Senator Manuel Roxas II, co-chair of the bicameral Quality and Affordable Medicines Oversight Committee, Arroyo changed her mind and deferred signing the document after meeting with executives of drug firms. Malacaňang officials have denied any collusion, explaining that the government also has to listen to the concerns of the business sector so as not to be misconstrued as trying to drive them away. As explained by Secretary Duque, President Arroyo has agreed that instead of imposing limits, the government will let the drug industry to come up with an undertaking expressing their commitment to lower the prices of essential drugs. - GMANews.TV