In a rally by nurses demanding an increase in their entry-level salary grade, the health workers criticized the government’s disproportionate response to the AH1N1 or swine flu epidemic. They said that other diseases which are far more common and deadlier – for example tuberculosis or diarrhea — have largely been ignored.
“Despite the so-called cheaper-medicines law, we haven’t brought down the incidences of poverty-related diseases. Instead, morbidity and mortality rates have even increased,” Nolasco, of HAIN, said. She cited the still widespread malnutrition. “It’s not only fatal, it can also cause learning difficulties and disabilities,” Nolasco said.
To this day, said Nolasco, diarrhea still kills; cholera has returned; pneumonia, broncho-pneumonia, and other illnesses that had been supposedly controlled years ago, are showing up again. There is also a resurgence of malaria and dengue cases, she said.
Apart from rising death rates due to poverty-related diseases, or diseases that sprung and became fatal because of lack of proper nutrition and sanitation, among others, Nisperos of HEAD also cited the nil impact of the law on the second biggest health problem of Filipinos — chronic diseases such as hypertension.Though prevention is better, it is still a given that people today are contracting chronic diseases. “Once you are stricken with it, you’re forced to be under medication for the rest of your life,” Nisperos warned. It thus becomes all too important for people to be able to buy their needed medicines.
Without discounting the number of the dying, Nisperos called attention to the growing number of people now who can’t function well because of their failure to acquire medicines for their chronic illnesses. “We’ve been saying for a long time — our peoples’ inability to access their needed medicines don’t just result in many untimely deaths, it also results in many suffering pain instead of becoming healthy, productive citizens.” There are more people, Nisperos said, “whose illnesses get worse because they can’t buy the medication they regularly need.”
And being a member of PhilHealth won’t help either, Nisperos said. “Further illustrating the inutility of the cheaper-medicine law, it didn’t even get PhilHealth’s cooperation, as PhilHealth doesn’t cover medicines for chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart ailments.
RA 9502, in other words, “has absolutely no impact on health services,” Nisperos said. (Bulatlat.com)
RELATED CONTENTNews in Pictures: Groups denounce failure of Cheaper Medicines Law
Consumers group finds Cheaper Medicines Law no better than a placebo
Filipinos join protests against NATO in Chicago, US (Photo by Brett Jelinek / Bulatlat.com)
Subscribe (RSS or Email) About Us Donate Contact Us Archive Advertise with Bulatlat
Video: Workers slam Aquino’s empty speech on Labor Day
Slideshow: Women slam Aquino’s inaction on price hikes
June 11th, 2009 at 2:41 am
CHEAPER-MEDICINE LAW A FAILURE?
THE PEOPLE HERE IN ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE SEEMS NOT TO AGREE IN SUCH ALLEGATIONS. THIS LAW IS A TREMENDOUS SUCCESS IN OUR REGION. MOST OF THE PRIVATE BOTIKAS IN OUR PLACE LOWERED THEIR PRICES TO COMPETE THE BnBs'S. THE PEOPLE BEHIND THIS LAW DESERVE OUR APPRECIATION AND SNAPPIEST SALUTE. 68% TO 72% INCREASED IN SALES BY PHARMA COMPANIES IS NOT PRETTY IMPRESSIVE. IT MAY GONE TO 100% WITHOUT THE CHEAPER-MEDICINE LAW.
June 11th, 2009 at 7:07 am
The problem with the law is that it is just that, a law. True it might have loopholes that can be exploited by transnational drug firms but the fact is Gloria Arroyo is doing nothing to implement it.
Why? Because Gloria is not the least concerned with the people's welfare. Budget for health remains low, estimates range from .25 to 30 cents per capita according to Ibon and Bulatlat.
Gloria wants to keep us so she and her minions can continue stealing and fooling us.
June 29th, 2009 at 6:14 am
Why can't we be like other countries where preventable diseases are gone like Tuberculosis?
Why can't we make our own industry of drugs, be independent?
July 6th, 2009 at 7:45 pm
1. Yes, RA 9502 brings down the prices of medicines, making it more affordable. However, MAJORITY OF THE FILIPINOS (which comprise the lower income brackets) CAN'T EVEN AFFORD A CENTAVO FOR MEDICINES. This means that the law wont help the poor that even reducing drug prices by 99% will do nothing as long as they cant even buy their own food and basic necessities. Therefore, the law only helps classes A and B.
2. Putting price cuts to medicines needs to be discussed thoroughly by consumers, pharma firms and the government. Yes, the government can force to bring drug prices down, but this will cause a lot of pharma businesses to close down or worse, a lot of fake medicines will be produced. A lot of people are talking about India and Pakistan, but never did they thought that these countries are facing a lot of problems regarding LOW QUALITY MEDICINES.
3. A lot of people are blaming pharma industries but dont forget that the chain of profit involves not only the manufacturers but the RETAIL DRUGSTORES as well. HOW COME BIG CHAINS OF DRUGSTORES CAN ABSORB HUGE CONSUMER DISCOUNTS OF THEIR PATRONS?
4. Another problem is that the generic law was not fully implemented. The RA 9502 even state that DOCTORS CAN STILL PRESCRIBE BRAND NAMES AND NOT JUST SOLELY GENERICS because physicians fear that a lot of low quality and counterfeit generics still exist. However, this of course, is a huge loophole to the law, because everyone knows that the tradition of giving incentives among health providers will ensue that junkets, free gifts, will add to the cost of medicines.
My suggestion:
a. Just take note: Pfizer has signed a partnership with GSIS, pushing a whopping 50% discount to all members. But why isnt many happy? IMO, studies should be made on drug prices independently before recommending the right price for MRP.
b. The government should absorb some expenses on medicines too. All Filipinos have right to health, rich or poor. If poor people cant have access to essential medicines financially, the state, should provide. Philhealth can help by broadening its coverage for the poor and putting medicines as part of its incentives. In this way, the pharma can sell medicines at a very low price, but since its in bulk, because more will have access to it, they wont lose that much.
c. BFAD should upgrade its facilities and be vigilant on low quality medicines and counterfeits. In this way, Filipinos will be confident in buying generic drugs, which is way cheaper than those being sold in the market. Secondly, NO PHYSICIAN WILL EVER SAY THAT GENERICS CAN HAMPER CURE AGAIN. Generics ensures competition, which in turn, bring down prices of medicines.
d. India and Pakistan has created a lot of cheap drugs because they lifted all patents. I think the country needs to focus on that too. With this, the local industries can create our own version of the same drugs which is much cheaper.
I hope this will clear things among readers. Its nice to be vigilant but the topic needs to be discussed by all and all sides should be taken accounted for.
July 29th, 2009 at 8:49 pm
Doctors must prescribe medicines with their recommended brands but they should also write the generic name so that the patients will have their option to choose a cheaper one.
Most of the doctors are enjoying the commissions and gifts offered by giant pharma companies and this is the reason why the medicines are very expensive.
June 3rd, 2011 at 10:54 am
[...] years ago when RA 9502 or Cheaper Medicines Law was enacted, the CAE had immediately seen its major failings which they predicted would ultimately [...]
June 3rd, 2011 at 12:17 pm
[...] on these failings, they foresaw its tragic failure in meeting its avowed goal of bringing down prices of medicines in the [...]