EDITORIAL - Making drugs affordable

Anyone who has ever been seriously ill knows that if he doesn’t succumb to disease, he could die from the cost of health care. It’s not just surgery and hospital confinement that are expensive. Research conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Health showed that for some reason, drugs in the Philippines are priced higher than in many other Asian countries. Unable to compel pharmaceutical companies to bring down their prices, the government has resorted to parallel importation, buying branded medicine abroad for sale at government hospitals.

Starting today these drugs will be available at the Jose R. Reyes Memorial Hospital in Manila, the Philippine Children’s Medical Center and East Avenue Medical Center in Quezon City, Rizal Medical Center in Pasig City, Western Visayas Medical Center in Iloilo City, Davao Regional Hospital and Davao Medical Center. The initial medicine importation from India costs P1.5 million – far lower than the P5 million quoted by companies in the Philippines.

Before Mar Roxas resigned as secretary of trade and industry, he had defended the parallel importation, which is being opposed by local groups. Roxas noted that Bactrim, used to treat infections and pneumonia, costs P24.10 each here but only P1.48 abroad. Isordil, for congestive heart failure, is sold for P7.40 per tablet here; abroad it costs 22 centavos. Lasix, used for chronic renal failure, edema and acute heart failure, costs 43 centavos abroad but P7.40 here. The common Ponstan is priced at P10.45 per 250 milligrams here but only P1.32 abroad, while the anti-asthma medication Ventolin is sold for P295 here but costs only P80 in other countries.

There are other drugs that will soon be available at government hospitals: the antibiotic Ciprobay, sold for P48 per tablet here but only P3.54 abroad; the anti-diabetes drug Daonil, priced at 68 centavos abroad but P7.75 here; Plendil for hypertension, priced at P28 per five-milligram tablet here but only P4 abroad. The list will get longer – the DOH intends to import more drugs worth P20 million, and will keep importing until manufacturers in the Philippines are forced to bring down their prices. This is one program that is sure to get public support.