EOC seeks probe for high COVID-19 medicine prices

CEBU, Philippines —  The Cebu City Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is asking the help of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in going after individuals who are taking unfair advantage of the high demand for medicines used in helping treat COVID-19 patients.

“It has come to our observation that the prices of COVID-19 medicines such as Favipiravir, Remdesivir, Tocolizumab have significantly increased,” said Councilor Joel Garganera, head of the city’s EOC.

The EOC has also asked the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Health (DOH), Food and Drug Administration(FDA)-Visayas, and the Office of the Presidential Assistance for the Visayas (OPAV) to intervene and help regulate the sale of these medicines.

“It is the request of the Cebu City EOC that the prices of these life-saving medications be regulated accordingly so as to prevent hoarding and give a fighting chance for Covid-19 patients of surviving this disease,” reads Garganera’s letter to the agencies.

Based on EOC’s monitoring last July 2021, the price of Favipiravir 200 mg/tab (40 tabs) was P10,500. This went up to P12,000 in August.

Meanwhile, the price of 100mg/20ml of Remdesivier was P4,000 in July and went up to P6,000 in August.

On the other hand, the P75,000 price for 400 mg/20ml of Tocilizumab in July became P130,000 in August.

“We are constrained to seek assistance from OPAV, DTI, DOH, and FDA to help formulate the price and supply regulation of these medicines,” Garganera said.

The Suggested Retail Price received by DOH-7 shows that Favipirapir 200 mg tablet costs P240.63 as its lowest and only P310 as its highest while a 100m vial of Remdesivir costs P1500 to P8,200.

For Tocilizumab, the SRP for a 200 mg/10 ml and 10 ml vial is P13,006.22 while a 400 mg/20 ml/20ml vial is P25,726.81 to 25,736.81. The price range for an 80 mg/4 ml/ 4ml vial is P7,867.06 as lowest and P8,303.57 as highest.

Garganera said the demand for these medicines in Cebu City also increased with the recent rise in new cases, especially that there are more symptomatic and severe cases noted during the third wave of infections this year. Hospitals, especially the intensive care units, have become overwhelmed.

“With the number of cases that we have in the city, the demand for these medicines also increases,” he said.

And people hoarding the medicines is not helping the situation.

“We see that there is a need to regulate the sale and price of these medications,” Garganera said.

Based on EOC’s data as of September 1, 2021, Cebu City has 2,820 active cases with 273 losing the battle to COVID-19.

Even before EOC’s letter to the four agencies, another city councilor, David Tumulak, called on DTI and other agencies concerned in July to check on the prices of these medicines. This was the time when the cases in the city were starting to increase steadily.

Tumulak even asked for more medicines from the national government to help the city’s indigent patients. — JMO (FREEMAN)