Drug price control and health socialism

While searching for materials on drug price control policy in google, I saw this entry in the LP website, "Roxas: where's the second list?"

The article was referring to the Senator's desire to see a second list or second round of drugs to be issued price control. The first list of drugs (21 molecules, nearly 100 drug preparations) was issued in late July 2009. Implementation of drug price control policy was August 15, 2009.

Drug price control, along with IPR-confiscation policies like compulsory licensing (CL), are examples of health socialism.

Price control policy says, "We don't care how excellent and revolutionary your products are. Their price should not be far from the price of the most mediocre products around. Their price should be socialized."

CL policy says, "We non-innovator companies declare upon you innovator companies: the high cost of your R&D and innovation, the losses in your failed researches and unsuccessful products marketed, are yours and yours alone. But your successful and highly saleable invention is also OUR invention."

That's socialism, plain and simple.

I have 3 compilation of my papers on the risks and disadvantages of drug price control policy, writtten over the second half of 2009. For those interested, these are:

1. "Essays on politicized drug pricing, part 2",
December 29, 2009 (25 pages, 17 short essays).

2. "Access to medicines through politics: Preliminary assessment of drug price control policy in the Philippines",
October 15, 2009 (33 pages incl tables and annexes), presented in a conference in Singapore last October.

3. "Essays on politicized drug pricing",
September 3, 2009 (24 pages),

It is dangerous to mix liberalism with socialism. Liberalism in its literal meaning, is to liberate, to free, to remove or limit coercion. Socialism in its literal meaning, is to socialize, to collectivize, by force and coercion.

It is unfortunate, therefore, that a key leader of a Liberal Party that is supposed to advance liberal politics and liberal economic policies, is advocating some populist and socialist policies.