ROXAS BACKS FINES VS CHEAP MEDS LAW VIOLATORS

Liberal Party vice presidential frontrunner Mar Roxas is supporting Department of Health (DOH) drive to penalize drug stores and hospital pharmacies who will violated Cheaper Medicines Law.

Roxas made the statement noting that there is no reason for the drug stores and pharmacies to sell essential medicines in high prices especially if those are included in the lists under Maximum Drug Retail Price (MDRP) and Government-Mediated Access Price (GMAP).

He insisted that since August 2009 the government already implemented the price cut to essential medicines included in the MDRP and GMAP lists.

Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral earlier admitted that despite of almost one year implementation of MDRP and GMAP some drug stores and even hospital pharmacies were not complying Republic Act No.9502 o Cheaper Medicines Law.

As of press time, some 123 drug stores and hospital pharmacies-- 78 within Metro Manila and 45 in the different regions-- were found violators of MDRP and GMAP.

To address the issue, Cabral ordered her staff to penalize the violators starting from P1,000 to P50,000 as first offense, and up to P5,000,000 and suspension and revocation of the drug stores/pharmacies license to operate.

Meanwhile, Roxas urged the DOH to widen the strict implementation of the Cheaper Medicines Law as he strongly believes that there are more than 123 violators of MDRP and GMAP.

He further assured that when he and LP presidential candidate Noynoy Aquino would win in the May 10 elections, they will impose stiffer penalty against cheap meds law violators.