Pfizer woes, again?

We thought we had seen the last of Pfizer’s woes. We were wrong.

It will be recalled that a few months ago, Pfizer was in the hot seat following accusations from various quarters that its controversial Sulit discount card was a last-ditch attempt to prevent the government from implementing the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) list which cut by an average of 50 percent the price of some of its high-end products.

That controversy took place just as Pfizer’s United States headquarters announced that it has offered multi-million dollar settlements to patients who suffered adverse effects from the intake of certain drugs manufactured and sold by this multinational giant. The settlement raised local eyebrows on Pfizer’s claim regarding its alleged “commitment” to patient care.

And now, Pfizer seems to be in trouble again.

This time, the US giant is arrayed against one of the country’s most loved retail chain – Mercury Drug Corp. – and the millions who purchase their products from this company.

The latest Pfizer woe surfaced after Senator Mar Roxas called on the Senate to investigate Pfizer’s alleged illegal trade practices following accusations that it has employed “bullying tactics” to “corner the market for anti-cholesterol drugs”.  Roxas’ action was reportedly prompted by a complaint from a group of stroke victims that a “big drugstore chain has refused to sell a cheap anti-hypertension drug”.

The main complainant is well-known thespian Subas Herrero, a stroke victim. According to reports quoting Herrero, Mercury Drugstore would no longer sell the generic version of Pfizer’s Lipitor brand “after being threatened by Pfizer”.

Once again, we can only commiserate with Pfizer and its local executives.

If Herrero’s complaints are true, Pfizer has chosen a wrong target against which to flex its muscle. Pfizer should realize that Mercury Drug is a revered institution in this country, having served Filipinos for close to seven decades. To threaten Mercury Drug is to poke a knife at the hearts of the Filipino masa.

It baffles us that Pfizer should continue to position itself as an adversary of the Filipino’s aspiration for quality, affordable medicines. Can’t it be more subtle in its approach to business profits? Is the pressure from the US headquarters to show impressive bottom line too strong?

Ever since Pfizer sued the Philippine government a few years back for attempting to bring in cheaper versions of its products from India, it has consistently projected itself as being in the forefront of the bid to thwart the onset of the era of more affordable medicines. There must be an explanation somewhere for this alarming propensity.

And now, threatening Mercury Drug?

We don’t think the highly esteemed Que family – the pioneering family behind Mercury Drug – will allow the proverbial knife to remain pointed at their throat forever.

Mercury Drug is part and parcel of Philippine history. It is as Filipino as puto bumbong and bibingka. Filipinos have equated it not only with “gamot na laging bago”. They also think of Mercury as a place to buy medicines they can afford.

By threatening Mercury Drugstore, Pfizer may have only further compounded its plethora of woes.

Not so hidden agenda

Shimmian Manila SurgiCenter (SMS) is cashing in on the enhanced demand for quality and affordable medical and health/wellness tourism in the Philippines.

The 15-year-old Shimmian Manila which is the Philippines’ first Advanced Reconstructive Rhinoplasty Clinic to introduce facial cosmetic harmony and the Gore-tex noselift,  has put up its third branch at the Lower ground flr., CTTN Square, T. Morato, Quezon City. It starts its operations, today. 

Dr. Levi John Lansangan, Shimmian Manila managing director, says they are an affiliate of Shimmian-Korea in Seoul, Korea, which has taken the lead in research and technology on nasal reconstruction. Korea is the first Asian country to adopt rhinoplastic surgery to craft in precision to the nasal anatomy. Shimmian Manila pioneered the Gore-tex noselift.

The surgical and medical team is led by the tandem of Dr. Levi Lansangan and Ana Marie Lansangan. Various trainings in the Philippines and abroad have given Dr. Levi the cutting edge in a very competitive field. His body of works are solid proof of his passion for his craft and dedication to the field of cosmetic surgery. Dr. Ana Marie is a noted dermatologist.

All the Shimmian centers are strategically are located in commercial districts. The first Shimmian center is at the Medical Plaza Ortigas, Pasig City while the second branch is on Connecticut , Greenhills, San Juan .  

The Philippines is well on its way to becoming one of the top medical tourism destinations. Its advantages are: Foreign currencies get more peso mileage. Medical tourism patients gravitate towards the Philippines because of its affordable travel packages and healthcare. Filipino doctors have gained prominence for their expertise and standards of care. The Pinoys’ impeccable brand of hospitality has always been a come-on.

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