Skip to content

Philippines Today

home of the Global Filipino

Menu
  • News Stories
  • Regional News
  • Business & Economy
  • Science & Technology
  • International
Menu

GMA drops generics-only provision in medicine bill

Posted on April 12, 2008

PHILIPPINE NEWS SERVICE — PRESIDENT Arroyo has withdrawn the “generics only” provision of the cheaper medicines bill to ensure its passage this month, but has retained the creation of a price control council for both branded and generic medicines.

Mrs. Arroyo ordered the Health Department to take out what she described as the “controversial provision that caused the stalemate” in the bicameral conference, saying a less-than-perfect law was better than a measure that was never passed.

“We don’t want a masterpiece that will never be played. We want something that may be less than perfect but can be carried out,” the President said during the launching of the 11,000th government-run drugstore in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City. The Botika ng Barangay stores sell half-priced medicines.

The President’s announcement, which coincided with the 20th anniversary of the Generics Law yesterday, is expected to convince the bicameral conference committee to pass the bill on its third reading when Congress resumes session on April 21.

The Senate and the House of Representatives are still deadlocked over the controversial provision that requires doctors to prescribe only the generic names of drugs.

Under the existing Generics Law, doctors are only required to write the generics equivalent of any branded medicine that they prescribe.

“My point is, if this will be an obstacle to the passage of the cheaper medicines bill, maybe we can take out that controversial provision. We cannot make the poor and the sick wait much longer,” the President said.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said he had already submitted a notice to Congress in February formalizing the government’s withdrawal of the provision, but the legislative branch had yet to act on it.

“From what I have gathered, there is a sunshine provision being proposed by some lawmakers, which would entail the deferment of the implementation of the generics-only provision for the next three years. If the other provisions to bring down the prices of medicines are found to be sufficient, then maybe there is no need to impose the generics-only provision at all,” Duque said in an interview.

The bill calls for the creation of a price control council, a regulatory board that will set ceilings on the prices of drugs.

The President also renewed her call on the Health Department and the Philippine International Trading Center, which imports cheap drugs, to continue fighting what she called “a cartel in the medicine industry.”

“There is currently a cartel in the medicine industry with a 70-percent market share. It is controlling the market. At least 90 percent of our medicines now are off-patent, but still 90 percent of the medicines circulating nationwide are branded and are more expensive that their generic counterparts,” she said.

Earlier, Iloilo Rep. Fergenel Biron exposed the P1-billion lobby fund that the pharmaceutical companies had supposedly released to kill the cheap medicine bill.

Mrs. Arroyo also encouraged the public to visit the Botika ng Barangay stalls built in key areas nationwide as the government continued with its parallel importation of cheaper medicines from countries such as India.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • More
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit

Related

News Categories

  • Announcement (34)
  • Business & Economy (1,567)
  • Comment and Opinion (74)
    • Random Thoughts (18)
  • Current Issues (425)
    • Charter Change (1)
    • Election (228)
    • Population (6)
  • International (389)
  • Life In Japan (66)
    • Everything Japan (41)
  • Literary (34)
  • Miscellaneous (610)
  • News Stories (5,312)
  • OFW Corner (297)
  • Others (75)
  • People (408)
  • Press Releases (163)
  • Regional News (3,362)
  • Science and Technology (502)
  • Sports & Entertainment (287)

Latest News

  • BSP keeps policy rates anew December 17, 2015
  • NEDA cuts PHL additional rice import for 2016 by 25% December 17, 2015
  • DA cites serious implications of banning genetically modified products December 17, 2015
  • BBL is not yet dead – Drilon December 17, 2015
  • Comelec recognizes Duterte’s CoC for president December 17, 2015
  • NEDA chief sees 2015 growth at 6% despite typhoons December 17, 2015
  • House of Representatives ratifies bicam report on P3.002-T national budget for 2016 December 17, 2015
  • Cebu-based developer invests PHP430M to build 709 townhouse units in north Cebu town December 17, 2015
  • City gov’t eyes P75-M income from economic enterprise December 17, 2015
  • Baguio City LGU presents traffic plan for holiday season December 17, 2015

Archives

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Science and Technology

  • DOST-ICTO targets 500,000 web-based workers from countryside by 2016
  • (Feature) STARBOOKS: A ‘makeover’ for librarians
  • Science, research reduce ‘cocolisap’ hotspot areas in PHL
  • Montejo to further improve PAGASA and empower scientists
  • 1st PPP in biomedical research produces knee replacement system fit for Asians

Press Releases

  • Microsoft to buy Nokia’s mobile devices business for 5.44-B euros
  • New World Bank climate change report should spur SEA and world leaders into action: Greenpeace
  • Save the Philippine Seas before it’s too late — Greenpeace
  • Palanca Awards’ last call for entries
  • Philippines joins the global call for Arctic protection

Comment and Opinion

  • Remembering the dead is a celebration of life
  • Killer earthquake unlikely to hit Panay Island in near future – analyst
  • It’s not just more fun to invest in the Philippines, it is also profitable, says President Aquino
  • How does one differentiate a tamaraw from a carabao?
  • Fun is not just about the place, it is also about the people, says DOT chief

OFW Corner

  • Ebola infection risk low in Croatia
  • Death toll rises to 41, over 100 still missing in landslide in India
  • Asbestos use in construction a labor hazard
  • 500,000 OFWs to benefit POEA on-line transactions — Baldoz
  • 25 distressed OFWs return home from Riyadh
©2025 Philippines Today | Design: Newspaperly WordPress Theme