Antiqueños Community Website - Province of Antique, Philippines - Affordable and quality medicines made accessible to the poor thru Republic No. 9502

Monday, October 13, 2008

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Affordable and quality medicines made accessible to the poor thru Republic No. 9502

Posted by Philippine Information Agency

San Jose, Antique – Ordinary Filipinos has now increased access to affordable but quality medicines through Republic Act 9502 otherwise known as Universally Accessible Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act of 2008 which was signed into law by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on June 6, 2008.

PGMA said together with the generic medicines law, the landmark RA 9502 ensure the availability of affordable medicines, including those sourced through parallel importations, thus giving consumers wider choice in their requirements. With the Cheaper Medicines and Quality Bill we have completed our legislative reforms in bringing affordable medicines to the people, the President said.

Renante Pido, Officer In Charge, Antique Federation on Non-government organizations (AFON) in an interview said that the passage of the RA 9502 strengthened the Health Plus program of NGOs which make generic and over the counter drugs affordable and accessible to poor people especially in remote areas.

Health Plus program of AFON has 42 Botika ng Barangay outlets provincewide including the island town of Caluya with one big pharmacy located in Pandan town north of Antique. Most of the franchisee in towns and barangays are cooperatives and people’s organizations duly registered with Securities and Exchange Commission or any government regulating institutions, Pido said.

The Department of Health (DOH) said the new law strengthens the generics market by allowing the government to issue compulsory licenses to other manufacturers to produce generic drugs for domestic use, including -- in cases of extreme public health need -- putting price ceilings, if needed.

Private entities like retail chains and private hospitals can help bring in more affordable medicines through bulk orders from the Philippine International Trading Corporation (PITC), or conduct parallel importation with the approval of the DOH.

Health Undersecretary Alexander Padilla said the DOH would accelerate the expansion of its Botika ng Barangays to 15,000 outlets by 2010 to complement the government’s program to ensure that the people, especially the poor, will have greater access to affordable and quality medicines nationwide.

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