ROXAS: FULL STEAM AHEAD FOR MEDICINES BILL

The Congressional bicameral conference committee on the Quality Affordable Medicines bill, in a preliminary meeting, has narrowed down issues that need to be reconciled, paving the way for the measure's early passage into law.

"We are moving forward. I am glad to see both sides cooperating and bringing the Quality Affordable Medicines bill closer to reality," Roxas, proponent and sponsor of the Senate version of the bill, said.

"Talagang inaantay na ito ng ating mga kababayan, at siguro mga 95% na ang napagkasunduan sa mga probisyon ng bill," he added.

Roxas, who co-chairs the bicameral committee with Rep. Antonio Alvarez, assured the public that the leadership transition in the House and the ZTE hearings in the Senate will not impede the passage of the affordable medicines bill.

"The people deserve relief from the high costs of medicines. We will work together to ensure that there will be greater competition in the pharmaceutical industry with an additional option of government intervention when needed," the long-time advocate of cheaper medicines said.

He said two provisions of the bill still need to be threshed out: proposed amendments to the Generics Law and price regulation.

"My colleagues and I already agree in principle on two items: first, we want to promote the local generics industry, and second, that price regulation is an option that ought to be at the government's disposal," Roxas explained.

"It is now a matter of implementation - how we make generic drugs more available to Filipinos, and who or what entity should be held accountable for the regulation of prices of medicines," he added.

The Liberal Party President said there may be no need to require that only generic names of drugs are placed in prescriptions, but that tougher penalties and better monitoring should be considered in amending the Generics Law.

"We don't want to merely pass on the problem of selection of the branded drugs, from the doctor to the drugstore cashier. I believe it is still the doctor who knows what his patient needs. We can however increase the penalty for noncompliance to the law, and also require government collection of prescriptions presented at pharmacies, to better ensure that doctors do write the generic names in their prescriptions," he said.

On the price regulation issue, Roxas maintained: "I want accountability to be placed in one person - the Secretary of Health, who will thus forward his recommendations to the President. To place the power of price regulation under a board would serve only to diffuse accountability and perpetuate finger-pointing at the expense of the public."

"The Secretary of Health should be free to consult with any bodies or agencies, but at the end of the day, the Secretary of Health is responsible for decisions on price regulation," he added.

He noted how the Senators and House members have already settled the matter of Intellectual Property Code amendments, that serve to increase competition and thus lower medicine prices in the country.

Apart from this, House members also expressed agreement with the Senate provision to strengthen the BFAD by allowing it to retain its collections and fees, in order to equip the agency in monitoring and ensuring quality of drugs manufactured here and abroad.