A MAJOR pharmaceutical group will not unilaterally raise drugs prices under the voluntary rate cut program without first obtaining the government’s approval.
In a press briefing, Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP) President Oscar J. Aragon yesterday assured that the prices of 38 medicines under the government mediated access (GMAP) price would be maintained.
"We have signed an undertaking with the President that we would continue to lower prices and if we have any issues we must first seek the approval of the Department of Health (DoH)," said Mr. Aragon.
Under PHAP’s commitments, companies must first seek the DoH’s approval for any rate adjustments in GMAP-covered drugs.
PHAP members have voluntarily reduced the prices of 16 of 21 medicines from an original list submitted by the DoH to the Office of the President to be covered by the maximum drug retail price (MDRP). The five other drugs were required to halve their prices.
In addition to the 16 drugs, PHAP members also voluntarily included 22 other medicines under GMAP.
The MDRP is provided for under Republic Act 9502 or the Universally Accessible Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act of 2008. Recommended by the Secretary of Health for approval by the President, the MDRP is resorted to if there is no effective competition to lower drug prices.
Executive Order 821, which imposed the MDRP and detailed the GMAP, was implemented on Aug. 15. Smaller drug retailers with manual inventory systems have until Sept. 15 to comply with the order.
Mr. Aragon said PHAP is awaiting the results of the MDRP review in November.
"We hope that the review would show that the goal of the government [for more access to medicines] has been achieved and that less intervention is needed to make more drugs accessible," said Mr. Aragon.
He added that PHAP is hoping "more consumption of our products could balance the effect of the price reduction."
The DoH has said that it is studying proposals from pharmaceutical companies to add more drugs under the GMAP.
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