EDITORIAL – Next battleground

The law meant to bring down the prices of medicine was one of the few pieces of legislation passed during the first session of the 14th Congress. The law was approved amid intense lobbying by interested parties, notably pharmaceutical giants, against certain provisions of the measure. Now the battle has shifted to the implementing rules and regulations for Republic Act 9052 or the Universally Accessible, Cheaper and Quality Medicine Act of 2008.

Critics of the new law, enacted over a week ago, have groused that it is a watered down version of the original proposals in the two chambers of Congress. Proponents have pointed out that the law is an acceptable compromise that could still be tweaked in favor of consumers under the implementing rules and regulations. The Department of Health has promised to come up with those rules within three months.

Consumers, already reeling from soaring food and fuel prices, could use relief from high medicine costs even earlier. The cost of decent health care in this country has become prohibitive, and drugs account for a big portion of that cost. Prices of medicine even for common ailments such as hypertension are beyond the reach of millions of Filipinos. And unlike price surges in fuel and rice, high medicine cost is not a global phenomenon. Filipinos who have gone overseas rarely fail to notice how much more expensive common types of drugs are in the Philippines than in other countries including the United States. Decent health care, like quality education, has become a luxury for the average Filipino.

While health officials are preparing the implementing guidelines for RA 9052, lawmakers should also take a closer look at the laws that give senior citizens a 20 percent discount in medicine prices. Senior citizens’ groups have pointed out that drug stores do deduct the 20 percent, but then charge them a 12 percent value-added tax on gross receipts. If the government wants to cut the 20 percent discount, it should clarify this outright to millions of senior citizens, who generally have the greatest need for medicine but have reduced earning capacity or no income source at all to pay for proper health care.

Senior citizens enjoy certain privileges and protection under the law; the intent of that law should not be undermined. The cheaper medicine law also offered the promise of more affordable drugs. The government should not disappoint the people.