Press Release
January 18, 2008

ROXAS WANTS FAIR AND OPEN DISCUSSIONS DURING
MEDICINES BILL BICAM

Senator Mar Roxas said he welcomes fair, open and transparent discussions on the Quality Affordable Medicines bill, in order to create the most effective law to bring down prices of medicines and to ensure the safety of these.

"As co-chair of the bicameral panel on the Quality Affordable Medicines bill, I will conduct a fair, open and transparent discussion on all provisions, to ensure that no agenda other than the people's welfare will prevail," the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Trade said.

Roxas made the statement in light of the Philippine Medical Association's (PMA) objection to a provision in the House version of the bill that would prohibit the prescribing of the brand name of a medicine along with their generic name. The Senate version does not contain the said provision.

"I urge the proponents of the bill in the Lower House to hold a dialogue with the PMA so that their concerns can be properly addressed before both panels meet to consolidate the two versions. That way, we will be able to come up with the best bill for our people's urgent needs," Roxas said.

The Senate had passed its version of the Quality Affordable Medicines bill last November 5, while the House passed theirs just last December 20.

First among the provisions of the Senate version, Senate Bill No. 1658 are the proposed amendments to the Intellectual Property Code which seek to allow the parallel importation of locally patented drugs and to allow generic manufacturers to test, register, produce patented drugs prior to patent expiry, among others.

The bill also recommends strengthening the Bureau of Food and Drugs to serve as a counterfoil to attempts to bring in fake or substandard medicines by allowing BFAD to retain its operating income from fees and other charges so it could upgrade its facilities and beef up its human resources.

The bill also contains provisions allowing the President to impose drug price ceilings in times of calamity and when certain ailments reach epidemic proportions or pose a major risk to wide majority of Filipinos, such as diabetes.

The Liberal Party, of which Roxas is President, is pushing for quality and affodable medicines as a key aspect of its "Affirmative Action Agenda: Putting People First"

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