Drug firm pushes full implementation of cheaper medicine law

MANILA, Philippines – An official of a drug firm is urging the government to fully implement the Cheaper Medicine Act so the public would not have to be burdened with buying expensive drugs.

In a forum in Manila, Muhammad Ateeque, co-director of Sahar International Trading Inc. (SITI), said multinational firms are lobbying against the implementation of the law because this would reduce their profits.

Ateeque said people, especially the poor, should be given the right to choose the medicine they can afford as long as it is genuine and duly registered with the Food and Drug Administration.

National Bureau of Investigation agents recently raided a SITI warehouse based on a complaint by certain multinational firms that it was selling fake medicine, Ateeque said. The NBI later cleared the SITI after it found no counterfeit drugs in its warehouse.

Ateeque said his firm has almost 100 products duly registered with the FDA and these are the cheapest drugs the poor can afford.

He said an example is their life-saving drug for cancer sold by multi-national drug companies at P130,000 for 30 tablets, while theirs sells at only P8,000 for the same quantity and effect.

Ateeque said President Aquino should have strong political will to implement the Cheaper Medicine Act to enable people to buy quality medicine and even solve the illegal entry of imported drugs.