More hospitals willing to sell cheap drugs — Roxas

Trade and Industry Secretary Manuel Roxas II said yesterday that more hospitals in Metro Manila have expressed interest in selling imported medicines from India.

According to Roxas, there are currently eight brands being imported through the joint program of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Health known as the "Presyong Tama, Gamot Pampamilya."

These medicines include the following: Adalat Retard or Nifedine 20 mg tablet, P5.74 (savings of P28.40); Tenormin (Atenolol) 50 mg tablet, P9.05 (savings of P9.65); Ventolin (Salbutamol) 100 mcg inhaler, P197.60 (savings of P97.15); Becoride or Bectomethasone 250 mcg inhaler, P532.50 (savings of P298.50); Bactrim DS or Cotrimoxazole 800 mg/160 mg tablet, P5.10 (savings of P18.90); Bactrim adult 400 mg/80 mg tablet, P2.80 (savings of P10.70); Septran or Cotrimoxazole 200 mg/40 mg, 50 ml suspension, P67.60 (savings of P15.10); and Daonil or Glibenclamide 5 mg tablet, P3.10 or a saving of P4.65 per tablet.

Roxas said that some P20-million worth of these imported medicines are available only in pharmacies in 30 public hospitals nationwide.

The government-imported medicines under the Presyong Tama program are off-patent brands and are the most prescribed brands as determined by the DOH.

Roxas assured that the medicines imported from India have passed the same tough tests on efficacy and safety required by the Bureau of Food and Drugs and its India counterpart.

Medicines from India are more reasonably priced, Roxas said.

Although he did not identify which hospitals have expressed interest in selling the imported medicines, Roxas said that the management of several hospitals have indicated that they will review their procurement procedures to lessen processing time.

Roxas explained that hospital have their own testing procedures that normally take up to two years before they allow their pharmacies to sell branded medicines from new suppliers.