Press Release
June 13, 2008

ROXAS, DUQUE AGREE TO FAST-TRACK MEDS LAW IRR STAKEHOLDER PARTICIPATION KEY TO ENSURING LAW NOT DILUTED

Senator Mar Roxas, primary author of the Universally Accessible, Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act, met with Health Sec. Francisco Duque III today to discuss the crafting of the new law's implementing rules and regulations (IRR).

In the meeting, Roxas and Duque agreed that the IRR should not dilute the efficacy of the new law, and that the IRR must be released immediately.

"The ball is now in DOH's court to make sure that our new law fulfills its intention. We're glad that Sec. Duque shares our sentiments: that there is urgency in drafting the IRR, and that the rules must not, in any way, dilute the law," he said.

"We're happy to hear from Sec. Duque that he has set a target to finish the IRR within 90 days, much earlier than the 120 days required in the law," he added.

To ensure these goals, Roxas and Duque agreed that it's important to involve stakeholders early on in the drafting of the IRR. According to Duque, they plan to take a "multi-stakeholder approach" in drafting the IRR.

"The participation and vigilance of our stakeholders will serve as a counterfoil to any attempt to weaken the law. Our stakeholders fought with us for this law, and they will certainly continue to fight with us against those whose interest is to keep the prices of medicines obscenely high," he said.

"This way, we could also know the 'real world' concerns of our sectors and local industry players, so we are conscious of these while we are working on the IRR," he added.

Roxas has been consulting with various stakeholder groups to get their inputs and concerns on the law's implementation. In his consultations with Filipino drug manufacturers and small drugstore owners, it was found that the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) must be strengthened, and its processes reformed.

After these concerns were raised in the meeting, Roxas and Duque agreed that the BFAD should already determine and disclose how it would use its retained earnings worth about P150 million a year, in addition to its regular budget. Under the new law, BFAD could now retain its earnings from fees and other charges, which it previously remitted to the National Treasury.

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