Statement of TUCP Secretary-General and former Senator Ernesto Herreraon the Delay in the Passage of the Proposed Affordable Medicines Act.
We urge Congress to instantly pass the Affordable Medicines Bill to provide relief to the working class, many of who are already suffering from high oil and food prices. The right to affordable medicines is our constitutional right. We should not be deprived this right by those who have vested interests in seeing this bill derailed.
If this bill is deferred, then what more can we look forward to from our legislators on Labor Day?
• Regional wage boards are still deliberating petitions for a wage hike;
• Tax exemption for minimum wage earners has yet to pass the House of Representatives;
• A reduction in the EVAT for oil is not even in the horizon.
Meanwhile, millions of workers suffer from work-related ailments that require medicines and treatment. Sadly, these workers are now being forced to choose between food on the table and medicines for their health. This bill will give them a fighting chance for better health.
The proposed Affordable Medicines Act is already at the bicameral conference committee.
Insisting on the inclusion of a drug price regulatory board at this late stage of the legislative process brings forth the question of motives. Why hold the entire bill hostage to this obsession for a drug price board? This can be a potential source of red tape and corruption.
We absolutely favor the Senate version, which gives the Secretary of Health the authority to review drug prices and to recommend to the President as to which medicines should be price-regulated for public good.
We renew our call on the House of Representatives and Speaker Prospero Nograles: Pass the Affordable Medicines Bill NOW!
Showing posts with label Cheap Medicine Bill. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cheap Medicine Bill. Show all posts
Monday, April 28, 2008
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Philippines To Have Cheaper Medicines Soon
MANILA, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Oct. 02, 2007) – The Philippine Senate has on Tuesday passed on second reading the proposed Quality Affordable Medicines Act of 2007.
Sen. Mar Roxas, chairman of the Senate Committee on Trade and Commerce, has sponsored the bill.
Committee Report No. 6, which was filed by the Senate Committees on Trade and Commerce and on Health and Demography, was signed by 17 senators who are members of the two committees. It recommends policy tools seeking access to quality, affordable medicines under the substitute Senate Bill No. 1658.
“Today, we in the Senate have the opportunity to deliver a powerful message that despite the raging controversies, we are immersed foremost in the business of the people,” Roxas said in a statement sent to the Mindanao Examiner.
“All the tools needed to make medicines more affordable are already in this bill. All of these provisions are in accordance with international best practices and with current laws,” Roxas added.
First among these measures, he said, are the proposed amendments to the Intellectual Property Code which seek to allow the parallel importation of more affordable medicines from abroad.
And to support the generics industry by adopting the “early working” principle and to disallow the grant of new patents on grounds of “new use” and give ample muscle to the government through a framework for government use and compulsory licensing.
“Ultimately, it will be the depth and strength of the administration’s political will that would decide the fate of these tools,” Roxas said. “Other countries have used the same tools with undeniable success. They have amended their patent laws to adopt internationally accepted best practices that have made medicines more affordable and accessible.”
The committees also recommend strengthening the Bureau of Food and Drug 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.
The substitute bill also reiterates the President’s power, patterned after the Price Act, to impose drug price ceilings in times of calamity, public health emergencies, illegal price manipulation and other instances of unreasonable drug price hikes.
The committee report also recommends the creation of a Congressional Oversight Committee on Quality Affordable Medicines, and allocating an initial P25 million to the Department of Health for the implementation of these measures.
Sen. Mar Roxas, chairman of the Senate Committee on Trade and Commerce, has sponsored the bill.
Committee Report No. 6, which was filed by the Senate Committees on Trade and Commerce and on Health and Demography, was signed by 17 senators who are members of the two committees. It recommends policy tools seeking access to quality, affordable medicines under the substitute Senate Bill No. 1658.
“Today, we in the Senate have the opportunity to deliver a powerful message that despite the raging controversies, we are immersed foremost in the business of the people,” Roxas said in a statement sent to the Mindanao Examiner.
“All the tools needed to make medicines more affordable are already in this bill. All of these provisions are in accordance with international best practices and with current laws,” Roxas added.
First among these measures, he said, are the proposed amendments to the Intellectual Property Code which seek to allow the parallel importation of more affordable medicines from abroad.
And to support the generics industry by adopting the “early working” principle and to disallow the grant of new patents on grounds of “new use” and give ample muscle to the government through a framework for government use and compulsory licensing.
“Ultimately, it will be the depth and strength of the administration’s political will that would decide the fate of these tools,” Roxas said. “Other countries have used the same tools with undeniable success. They have amended their patent laws to adopt internationally accepted best practices that have made medicines more affordable and accessible.”
The committees also recommend strengthening the Bureau of Food and Drug 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.
The substitute bill also reiterates the President’s power, patterned after the Price Act, to impose drug price ceilings in times of calamity, public health emergencies, illegal price manipulation and other instances of unreasonable drug price hikes.
The committee report also recommends the creation of a Congressional Oversight Committee on Quality Affordable Medicines, and allocating an initial P25 million to the Department of Health for the implementation of these measures.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Cheap Medicines Bill and Quality Affordable Medicines Bill...Whatever!
MANILA, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / 13 Aug) – Filipino Senator Mar Roxas said approval of the quality affordable medicines bill could be fast-tracked once the members of the Senate Committees on Trade and on Health are announced, most likely during this week.
“We’re just waiting for the committees to be fully constituted, and then we’ll start the hearings as soon as possible,” he said in a statement sent to the Mindanao Examiner.
Roxas, chairman of the Committee on Trade and Commerce, said the bill had already been approved on 3rd reading in the last Congress after intense consultations and deliberations.
This, he said, could expedite deliberations in the present Congress. He said they would hold intensive public hearings and have meaningful consultations with stakeholders and experts.
Roxas filed Senate Bill No. 101, which is identical to the bill passed by the Senate on 3rd reading in the previous Congress. The bill was actively co-sponsored by Senator Pia Cayetano, who retained leadership of the Committee on Health.
As in the 13th Congress, Roxas expects the bill to be supported unanimously by his colleagues and approved on third reading once more in the Senate.
“Sixteen senators, who were present in the 13th Congress, are already familiar with the elements of this bill. I am also confident that the rest are familiar with the contents of the bill, and would support it for the sake of the public.” he said.
Roxas said that the battle for flexibilities in patent laws on medicines is an international battle, which is winning in various fronts across the globe.
“In the international front, steps are being taken to make life-saving medicines affordable and available to all. We must not be left behind,” Roxas said.
The bill provides a legal mechanism for the importation of cheaper drugs whose patents have not expired locally, otherwise known as parallel importation, already practiced among European Union nations, as well as Japan, Argentina, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam.
He said attempts to do such in the United States, a known bailiwick of multinational pharmaceutical interests, are gaining ground, with the recent approval by the US House of Representatives of a bill effectively allowing the importation of cheaper medicines from abroad.
SB 101 also provides an “early working doctrine” where generic drug manufacturers are allowed to experiment, produce and register patented drugs even prior to expiration of their patents. This doctrine, he noted, has already led to significant price reductions in the US, Japan, Canada, Israel and Thailand.
Lastly, the bill seeks to give government discretion in use of patents when public health is at stake, providing for a framework for the just compensation of the patent holder.
Roxas said supporters of the bill include various stakeholder groups such as the Ayos na Gamot sa Abot-Kayang Presyo (AGAP), the Cut the Cost, Cut the Pain Network (3CPNet), the Third World Network, among other civil society and people’s groups; international organizations such as the World Health Organization and OXFAM International.
And also the local pharmaceutical industry, through the Philippine Chamber of Pharmaceutical Industry (PCPI) and the Drugstores Association of the Philippines (DSAP); as well as government agencies such as the Department of Health and the Department of Trade and Industry, the Intellectual Property Office, the Philippine International Trading Corp. (PITC), among others.
Pharmaceutical firms have allegedly put up as much as P1-billion lobby fund to derail the passage of a bill seeking to reduce medicine prices.
Cebu Rep. Eduardo Gullas warned multinational pharmaceutical firms against carrying out their plan, saying, the government is firm in supporting the “Cheap Medicine Bill.”
"Our people desperately need access to affordable medicine. The new Congress has no other recourse but to quickly pass the bill. It is bad enough that the previous Congress failed to pass the bill," Gullas said.
Gullas earlier introduced House Bill 307, his version of the Cheap Medicine Bill. The measure is comparable to the bill previously introduced by Iloilo Rep. Ferjenel Biron.
Last month, Biron accused multinational drug firms of putting up the money to allegedly “kill” the Cheap Medicine Bill.
Gullas' bill seeks to provide Filipinos increased access to inexpensive drugs by reinforcing the parallel importation scheme of the state-owned and by allowing any entity to import patented drugs sold cheaper in other countries.
Gullas said the country’s health protection remains grossly inadequate, with only one of every three citizens covered by medical insurance.
He said the government's insufficient financial resources have hampered universal health insurance coverage.
As a result, Filipinos have to take out of their own pockets more than 40 percent of all health-related spending, including the purchase of high-priced medicines.
"Congress should promptly relax existing patent rules by declaring that parallel importation will not violate trademarks, as long as the drugs brought in are determined to be genuine counterparts produced in other countries," Gullas said.
"Allowing unrestrained competition is one sure way for Congress to help drive down drug prices, and make them more affordable to most Filipinos."
Based on the finding of previous congressional inquiries, dozens of branded drugs that are now being sold here at prohibitive prices, may in fact be imported and sold here for much less.
For example, a branded amlodipine which costs P44.75 in the Philippines sells only P6 in India. And branded drugs such as Mefenamic acid that costs P20.98 in the country sells for about P2.80 in India and P1.46 in Pakistan.
And same with branded loperamide hydrochloric acid that usually costs P10.70 only sells P1.94 in Pakistan.
The PITC imports about 90 cheap medicines that are being sold to the public through Botika ng Bayan outlets. The 1,345 outlets nationwide will be increased to 2,000 by year's end.
This year, the PITC plans to import from Pakistan and India an additional P500-million worth of medicines, mainly for diabetes, asthma, hypertension, and tuberculosis.
“We’re just waiting for the committees to be fully constituted, and then we’ll start the hearings as soon as possible,” he said in a statement sent to the Mindanao Examiner.
Roxas, chairman of the Committee on Trade and Commerce, said the bill had already been approved on 3rd reading in the last Congress after intense consultations and deliberations.
This, he said, could expedite deliberations in the present Congress. He said they would hold intensive public hearings and have meaningful consultations with stakeholders and experts.
Roxas filed Senate Bill No. 101, which is identical to the bill passed by the Senate on 3rd reading in the previous Congress. The bill was actively co-sponsored by Senator Pia Cayetano, who retained leadership of the Committee on Health.
As in the 13th Congress, Roxas expects the bill to be supported unanimously by his colleagues and approved on third reading once more in the Senate.
“Sixteen senators, who were present in the 13th Congress, are already familiar with the elements of this bill. I am also confident that the rest are familiar with the contents of the bill, and would support it for the sake of the public.” he said.
Roxas said that the battle for flexibilities in patent laws on medicines is an international battle, which is winning in various fronts across the globe.
“In the international front, steps are being taken to make life-saving medicines affordable and available to all. We must not be left behind,” Roxas said.
The bill provides a legal mechanism for the importation of cheaper drugs whose patents have not expired locally, otherwise known as parallel importation, already practiced among European Union nations, as well as Japan, Argentina, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam.
He said attempts to do such in the United States, a known bailiwick of multinational pharmaceutical interests, are gaining ground, with the recent approval by the US House of Representatives of a bill effectively allowing the importation of cheaper medicines from abroad.
SB 101 also provides an “early working doctrine” where generic drug manufacturers are allowed to experiment, produce and register patented drugs even prior to expiration of their patents. This doctrine, he noted, has already led to significant price reductions in the US, Japan, Canada, Israel and Thailand.
Lastly, the bill seeks to give government discretion in use of patents when public health is at stake, providing for a framework for the just compensation of the patent holder.
Roxas said supporters of the bill include various stakeholder groups such as the Ayos na Gamot sa Abot-Kayang Presyo (AGAP), the Cut the Cost, Cut the Pain Network (3CPNet), the Third World Network, among other civil society and people’s groups; international organizations such as the World Health Organization and OXFAM International.
And also the local pharmaceutical industry, through the Philippine Chamber of Pharmaceutical Industry (PCPI) and the Drugstores Association of the Philippines (DSAP); as well as government agencies such as the Department of Health and the Department of Trade and Industry, the Intellectual Property Office, the Philippine International Trading Corp. (PITC), among others.
Pharmaceutical firms have allegedly put up as much as P1-billion lobby fund to derail the passage of a bill seeking to reduce medicine prices.
Cebu Rep. Eduardo Gullas warned multinational pharmaceutical firms against carrying out their plan, saying, the government is firm in supporting the “Cheap Medicine Bill.”
"Our people desperately need access to affordable medicine. The new Congress has no other recourse but to quickly pass the bill. It is bad enough that the previous Congress failed to pass the bill," Gullas said.
Gullas earlier introduced House Bill 307, his version of the Cheap Medicine Bill. The measure is comparable to the bill previously introduced by Iloilo Rep. Ferjenel Biron.
Last month, Biron accused multinational drug firms of putting up the money to allegedly “kill” the Cheap Medicine Bill.
Gullas' bill seeks to provide Filipinos increased access to inexpensive drugs by reinforcing the parallel importation scheme of the state-owned and by allowing any entity to import patented drugs sold cheaper in other countries.
Gullas said the country’s health protection remains grossly inadequate, with only one of every three citizens covered by medical insurance.
He said the government's insufficient financial resources have hampered universal health insurance coverage.
As a result, Filipinos have to take out of their own pockets more than 40 percent of all health-related spending, including the purchase of high-priced medicines.
"Congress should promptly relax existing patent rules by declaring that parallel importation will not violate trademarks, as long as the drugs brought in are determined to be genuine counterparts produced in other countries," Gullas said.
"Allowing unrestrained competition is one sure way for Congress to help drive down drug prices, and make them more affordable to most Filipinos."
Based on the finding of previous congressional inquiries, dozens of branded drugs that are now being sold here at prohibitive prices, may in fact be imported and sold here for much less.
For example, a branded amlodipine which costs P44.75 in the Philippines sells only P6 in India. And branded drugs such as Mefenamic acid that costs P20.98 in the country sells for about P2.80 in India and P1.46 in Pakistan.
And same with branded loperamide hydrochloric acid that usually costs P10.70 only sells P1.94 in Pakistan.
The PITC imports about 90 cheap medicines that are being sold to the public through Botika ng Bayan outlets. The 1,345 outlets nationwide will be increased to 2,000 by year's end.
This year, the PITC plans to import from Pakistan and India an additional P500-million worth of medicines, mainly for diabetes, asthma, hypertension, and tuberculosis.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Big Pharma Puts Up Huge Lobby Fund To Fight Cheap Medicine Bill In Philippines
MANILA, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / 29 Jul) – Pharmaceutical firms have allegedly put up as much as P1-billion lobby fund to derail the passage of a bill seeking to reduce medicine prices.
But Cebu Rep. Eduardo Gullas has warned multinational pharmaceutical firms against carrying out their plan, saying, the government is firm in supporting the “Cheap Medicine Bill.”
"Our people desperately need access to affordable medicine. The new Congress has no other recourse but to quickly pass the bill. It is bad enough that the previous Congress failed to pass the bill," Gullas said.
Gullas earlier introduced House Bill 307, his version of the Cheap Medicine Bill. The measure is comparable to the bill previously introduced by Iloilo Rep. Ferjenel Biron.
Last week, Biron accused multinational drug firms of putting up the money to allegedly “kill” the Cheap Medicine Bill.
Gullas' bill seeks to provide Filipinos increased access to inexpensive drugs by reinforcing the parallel importation scheme of the state-owned Philippine International Trading Corp. (PTIC), and by allowing any entity to import patented drugs sold cheaper in other countries.
Gullas said the country’s health protection remains grossly inadequate, with only one of every three citizens covered by medical insurance. He said the government's insufficient financial resources have hampered universal health insurance coverage.
As a result, Filipinos have to take out of their own pockets more than 40 percent of all health-related spending, including the purchase of high-priced medicines.
"Congress should promptly relax existing patent rules by declaring that parallel importation will not violate trademarks, as long as the drugs brought in are determined to be genuine counterparts produced in other countries," Gullas said.
"Allowing unrestrained competition is one sure way for Congress to help drive down drug prices, and make them more affordable to most Filipinos."
Based on the finding of previous congressional inquiries, dozens of branded drugs that are now being sold here at prohibitive prices, may in fact be imported and sold here for much less.
For example, a branded amlodipine which costs P44.75 in the Philippines sells only P6 in India. And branded drugs such as Mefenamic acid that costs P20.98 in the country sells for about P2.80 in India and P1.46 in Pakistan. And same with branded loperamide hydrochloric acid that usually costs P10.70 only sells P1.94 in Pakistan.
The PITC imports about 90 cheap medicines that are being sold to the public through Botika ng Bayan outlets. The 1,345 outlets nationwide will be increased to 2,000 by year's end.
This year, the PITC plans to import from Pakistan and India an additional P500-million worth of medicines, mainly for diabetes, asthma, hypertension, and tuberculosis.
But Cebu Rep. Eduardo Gullas has warned multinational pharmaceutical firms against carrying out their plan, saying, the government is firm in supporting the “Cheap Medicine Bill.”
"Our people desperately need access to affordable medicine. The new Congress has no other recourse but to quickly pass the bill. It is bad enough that the previous Congress failed to pass the bill," Gullas said.
Gullas earlier introduced House Bill 307, his version of the Cheap Medicine Bill. The measure is comparable to the bill previously introduced by Iloilo Rep. Ferjenel Biron.
Last week, Biron accused multinational drug firms of putting up the money to allegedly “kill” the Cheap Medicine Bill.
Gullas' bill seeks to provide Filipinos increased access to inexpensive drugs by reinforcing the parallel importation scheme of the state-owned Philippine International Trading Corp. (PTIC), and by allowing any entity to import patented drugs sold cheaper in other countries.
Gullas said the country’s health protection remains grossly inadequate, with only one of every three citizens covered by medical insurance. He said the government's insufficient financial resources have hampered universal health insurance coverage.
As a result, Filipinos have to take out of their own pockets more than 40 percent of all health-related spending, including the purchase of high-priced medicines.
"Congress should promptly relax existing patent rules by declaring that parallel importation will not violate trademarks, as long as the drugs brought in are determined to be genuine counterparts produced in other countries," Gullas said.
"Allowing unrestrained competition is one sure way for Congress to help drive down drug prices, and make them more affordable to most Filipinos."
Based on the finding of previous congressional inquiries, dozens of branded drugs that are now being sold here at prohibitive prices, may in fact be imported and sold here for much less.
For example, a branded amlodipine which costs P44.75 in the Philippines sells only P6 in India. And branded drugs such as Mefenamic acid that costs P20.98 in the country sells for about P2.80 in India and P1.46 in Pakistan. And same with branded loperamide hydrochloric acid that usually costs P10.70 only sells P1.94 in Pakistan.
The PITC imports about 90 cheap medicines that are being sold to the public through Botika ng Bayan outlets. The 1,345 outlets nationwide will be increased to 2,000 by year's end.
This year, the PITC plans to import from Pakistan and India an additional P500-million worth of medicines, mainly for diabetes, asthma, hypertension, and tuberculosis.
Friday, February 23, 2007
Pass Cheap Medicine Bill, Muslim Group Urges RP Congress
THE MINDANAO-BASED Suara Party List urged members of Congress Friday to approve the Cheap Medicine Bill or Senate Bill 2263, which is instrumental for the roll-back of medicines' prices in the Philippines.
Zaynab Ampatuan, National Deputy Secretary General of Suara Party, said the bill is of big help to the lives of millions of Filipinos who have been denied of basic health services due to government's insufficient budget on health.
"Health care is supposed to be our basic right but ironically it has been one of the least priorities of the government not only in terms of budget allocation but also with the legislations of laws that will mend access of Filipinos for medication." Ampatuan said in a statement.
"In fact, military budget for waging war against the people is a lot higher than the budget intended for basic services such as Health. Ampatuan said prices of medicines in Indonesia, Thailand and India are much cheaper than Philippines.
She said a known brand of inhaler for asthmatics, which is priced P406 in the Philippines, sells only P231 in Thailand. Some medicines, such as antibacterial drugs, are sold in the Philippines ten-times higher than the price in India.
"Can we not make it here in the Philippines? This way we can save lives of patients from dying simply because of expensive medicines," Ampatuan said.
Ampatuan, however, said that accessibility to cheaper medicines is just but one of the dilemmas faced by ordinary Filipinos. She pointed that it is useless to work for the "roll-back" of medicines' prices if wages of the workers or income of every family will not be boosted.
Suara Party is one of the organizations that fight for the ratification of the P125 a day wage increase bill or the Beltran's Bill authored by labor activist Rep. Crispin Beltran, who is now detained by government on rebellion charges.
Zaynab Ampatuan, National Deputy Secretary General of Suara Party, said the bill is of big help to the lives of millions of Filipinos who have been denied of basic health services due to government's insufficient budget on health.
"Health care is supposed to be our basic right but ironically it has been one of the least priorities of the government not only in terms of budget allocation but also with the legislations of laws that will mend access of Filipinos for medication." Ampatuan said in a statement.
"In fact, military budget for waging war against the people is a lot higher than the budget intended for basic services such as Health. Ampatuan said prices of medicines in Indonesia, Thailand and India are much cheaper than Philippines.
She said a known brand of inhaler for asthmatics, which is priced P406 in the Philippines, sells only P231 in Thailand. Some medicines, such as antibacterial drugs, are sold in the Philippines ten-times higher than the price in India.
"Can we not make it here in the Philippines? This way we can save lives of patients from dying simply because of expensive medicines," Ampatuan said.
Ampatuan, however, said that accessibility to cheaper medicines is just but one of the dilemmas faced by ordinary Filipinos. She pointed that it is useless to work for the "roll-back" of medicines' prices if wages of the workers or income of every family will not be boosted.
Suara Party is one of the organizations that fight for the ratification of the P125 a day wage increase bill or the Beltran's Bill authored by labor activist Rep. Crispin Beltran, who is now detained by government on rebellion charges.
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