DOH plans to regulate prices of chemo medicine, insulin

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Health (DOH) plans to include chemotherapy drugs and insulin in the list of regulated medicine so the government can control their prices, an official said.

Health Undersecretary Alex Padilla said the department may release the list of regulated medicine before the end of the month.

The list will be submitted to President Arroyo for approval.

“We are looking at cancer drugs for children and insulin to be among the medicine that will be covered by price regulation. We are studying the list very carefully,” he told a health forum organized by the Philippine College of Physicians.

Controlling medicine prices is mandated under Republic Act 9502 or the Universally Accessible Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act of 2008, which was enacted to provide Filipinos with affordable and quality medicine.

Under this law, subject to price regulation are drugs for chronic illnesses like gastro-intestinal disorder, peptic ulcer, urologic disorder, tuberculosis, asthma, neuro-psychiatric disorder, pulmonary diseases, hypertension and HIV/AIDS, among others.

Padilla said the DOH is following some criteria in identifying drugs that have to be regulated.

For one, he said the department is looking for drugs that are widely in demand but are four to five times more expensive than those sold in neighboring countries.

“For instance, insulin. There is insulin that is being sold here for P1,200 and P800, but abroad its price is only (equivalent to) P50,” he said.

The DOH is also looking at products that are produced or imported by less than four companies. It is also studying how these drugs are being sourced.

Dr. Robert So, program coordinator of the DOH’s Pharmaceutical Management Unit, said the department might come up initially with 25 drugs that would be covered by price regulation.

So gave assurance that the DOH is closely coordinating with pharmaceutical companies, consumer groups and other stakeholders in coming up with the list.

He added that before subjecting a product to price control, the DOH wants to check first with the drug companies if they themselves could lower their prices.