[e-drug] Cheaper Medicines Act in Philippines

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E-DRUG: Cheaper Medicines Act in Philippines
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[20 years after the Philippines introduced a Generics Act - designed to
reform the way medicines are supplied and used in the country - a new
law has just been passed. It aims to ensure that poor Filipinos have
improved access to essential medicines at affordable prices and
acceptable quality. The passage of the new Act begs the question about
the lack of effective implementation of the previous Generics Act.
Without implementation, little change is likely to occur. The
Philippines probably had sufficient policy tools already in place,
without a new Act; what was missing was the political will to enforce
the Generics Act, to ensure that the country's drug regulatory agency
was effective in ensuring only quality products were registered, and
that prescribers and dispensers were encouraged to use only generics.
Such action would have meant that for the past 20 years, Filipinos would
have benefited from cheaper medicines and had more access to them.
Hopefully, they will not have to wait another 20 years. Below a local
newspaper story from Philippines - copied as fair use. AC]

Philippines president signs Cheaper Medicines Act

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2008  |  CONSTITUTION AND LAW 

STA. CRUZ, Laguna (PNA) -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Friday
signed Republic Act no. 9502, an Act providing for cheaper and quality
medicines.

The new law amends Republic Act no. 6675 or the Generics Act of 1988,
Republic Act no. 8293 or the Intellectual Property Code, and Republic
Act no. 5921 or the Pharmacy Law.

In signing the Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act of 2008, the President
said the Generics Law before was incomplete.

"The importance of the Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act, we now
completed our legislative reforms in bringing affordable medicines to
the people," she said.

Under the new law, it allows the parallel importation of patented
medicines from other countries where these are more affordable.

It also allows local generics firm to test, produce and register their
generic versions of patented drugs, so these can be sold right upon
patent expiry early working principle).

However, the new law prohibits the grant of new patents based only on
newly discovered uses of a known drugs substance.

The Act also allows the government use of patented drugs when public
health is at stake.

It also gives the President the power "to impose price ceilings on
various drugs, upon the recommendation of the Health Secretary.

These drugs include those for chronic illnesses, for prevention of
diseases, and those in the Philippine National Drug Formulary (PNDF)
Essential Drug List.

The Act also strengthens the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) to ensure
the safety of medicines by allowing it to retain its revenues for
upgrading of its facilities, equipment and human resources; and also
ensures the availability of affordable medicines by requiring drug
outlets to carry a variety of brands for each drug -- including those
sourced from "parallel importation" -- to give the consumer more
choices.

The new law also creates a congressional oversight committee -- such as
the Quality Affordable Medicines Oversight Committee -- to monitor the
implementation of the Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act.

President Arroyo, assisted by Health Secretary Francisco Duque who
accompanied her here, also distributed some 65 PhilHealth cards to
indigent residents of this town.

She then inspected the newly upgraded Laguna Chest Center building here.

The President proceeded to AMHERST Pharma Distribution Center in Binan,
Laguna.

(By Lilybeth G. Ison - PNA)
LBV/LGI/mec