Press Release
February 19, 2010

ROXAS: CRITICS ARE CRAZY, DESPERATE DUE TO LOW RATINGS

Liberal Party vice presidential candidate Senator Mar Roxas today described as crazy and desperate critics who rehashed an old issue that he watered down the Cheaper Medicines Law.

"Ano sila baliw? Anong nirereklamo nila eh meron ngang Maximum Retail Price (MRP) provision ang batas na maninigurong abot-kaya ang mga gamot para sa mahihirap nating mga kababayan (Are they crazy? How can they complain when we have the maximum retail price to ensure prices of merdicines can be lowered to benefit our poor citizens?)," Roxas said, adding, "Di nga ba't sinita ko pa si GMA dahil hindi niya ginamit ang probisyong ito (Didn't I even badger GMA repeatedly for not implementing this provision?)?"

Roxas, chairman of the Oversight Committee on Cheaper Medicines and primary author of the cheaper medicines law, said while he was pushing President Arroyo to lower medicine prices through the MRP, his critics did nothing but just criticize him that he supposedly "watered down" the law.

He pointed out because of his campaign to implement the MRP, Malacañang was forced to consider it but even tried to sabotage it by giving pharmaceutical companies the option to volunteer instead of being forced as provided by the law to implement the medicine price reduction.

Nevertheless, Roxas pointed out, the inclusion of several essential drugs in the MRP benefited many Filipinos, contrary to his "crazy" critics' claim. For instance, Filipinos who take the anti-hypertension drug Norvasc daily have already saved more than P4,000 since the MRP took effect on August 15.

Price Before MDRP Price with

MRP Daily Savings Savings from Aug - Feb

NORVASC Amlodipine 5mg

Anti-Hypertensive P46.26 P22.85 P23.40 P4,165

LIPITOR Atorvastatin 10mg

Anti-Cholesterol P63.75 P34.40 P29.35 P5,224

DIAMICRON Gliclazide 80mg

Anti-Diabetic P15 P7.50* P15

2 tabs/day P2,570

*Government Mediated Access Price

"Dahil sa savings, may pang-dagdag na ginhawa ang mga pamilya sa kanilang pang-araw-araw na gastusin. At kung iipunin nila sa pang-matagalan, meron silang pang-gastos sa gamit sa kanilang tahanan (Because of the savings, families have additional relief to their daily expenses. And if they keep the savings for a longer period, they can now make hard household investments)," he stressed.

Daily Savings Equivalent Aug-Feb Savings Equivalent

NORVASC Amlodipine 5mg 2 sardines good quality stand fan

LIPITOR Atorvastatin 10mg 1 kilo rice washing machine

DIAMICRON Gliclazide 80mg 2 packs noodles gas range + oven toaster

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