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Friday, September 12, 2014

Drug Price Control 40: CWF Wants Price Dictatorship for Lipitor

Last Wednesday, an email from James Auste (below), founder and Executive Director of Cancer Warriors Foundation (CWF) was forwarded by email by the Secretary General MeTA Philippines, Ms. Cecile Sison, to members of the Medicines Transparency Alliance (MeTA) PH, Coalition for Health Advocacy and Transparency (CHAT), ETHIKOS and Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI) Health cluster. I am a member of MeTA PH and CHAT so I saw it.

The email therefore was widely circulated to many stakeholders in the PH health sector – government, industry players, NGOs, academe. James is asking for  another round  of drug price dictatorship aka price control. Price dictatorship is the  subject  of my book in 2011, Health Choices and Responsibilities, and it is a policy that I will  always oppose.

James addressed his letter to the President/CEO of Pfizer, but it was distributed to various network in the  health sector, so  it is implicit that he also addressed it to us, hoping that other stakeholders in the health sector will support his call for a new round of drug price control, but targeted to only one medicine, Lipitor.


I posted these comments by email to members of CHAT and MeTA PH early today. Reposting it here.
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James  wrote,

(1) “SABI NG MGA BATA,HINDI KAMI HUMIHINGI NG AMING GAMOT PERO PARA SA AMING MGA LOLO AT LOLANA GUMAGAMIT NG LIPITOR!”

O, this  is new. The children cancer patients are now lobbying part time not to get cheaper cancer medicines for themselves,, but to get cheaper Lipitor for their grandparents. And soon maybe, they will also lobby for cheaper Norvasc for their parents, cheaper Augmentin for their older siblings and relatives?

(2) ANG ANNUAL SALES NG LI[PITOR AY 750MILLION PESOS! NUMBER 1 IN THE MARKET! AT NUMBER 1 PA ATA SA BUONG MUNDO!

Good data, but Pfizer themselves gave this data to James? Or IMS did, or someone who dislikes Pfizer and has access to industry data did?

(3) “PARA general health and well-being of every Filipino ( NA CORE VALUE RIN NG PFIZER) IBABA NATIN SA 14 PESOS ANG 10MG AT 17 PESOS ANG 2OMG!”

O, part 2 of price control. Part 1 was made in August 2009 under the administration of former President Arroyo.  Price control  is price dictatorship. Government regulators – the DOH and DTI in particular, backed up by the Office of the President, Congress, LGUs, etc. – would act as the price dictators. Those who will not obey the dictated price will be harassed and penalized.

Btway, it was former DOH Secretary Duque and DTI Secretary Favila who coined the Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Price (GMAP), aka Government-Mediated Access Price, an illegal term (not in RA 9502, not in the IRR) which until now  is being used, four years after GMA’s term has ended.

I am not exactly a great fan of Pfizer. I am more a fan of “boycott medicines”, innovator or generic, whenever possible and have healthy lifestyle instead. But I will  always be an enemy of government  dictatorship including price control, wage control, fare  control, rent  control, income control (via high income taxes).

The call for another round of drug price control or price dictatorship  is lousy James. Better focus your energy on lobbying for cheaper childhood cancer medicines. You are more effective there.
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DEAR SIR/MAM PRESIDENT/CEO OF PFIZER!

HI AT MABUHAY! I AM JAMES AUSTE A BRAIN CANCER WARRIOR! PATIENT ADVOCATE! FOUNDER! EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CANCER WARRIORS FOUNDATION! SINCE JUNE 2000 WE HAVE SUPPORTED AT LEAST 1000 KIDS WITH  CANCER AND THEIR FAMILIES IN THEIR BATTLE FOR LIFE! RIGHT NOW WE HAVE 400 SCHOLARS UNDER OUR CARE FROM PAMPANGA TO DAVAO!

SABI NG MGA BATA,HINDI KAMI HUMIHINGI NG AMING GAMOT PERO PARA SA AMING MGA LOLO AT LOLANA GUMAGAMIT NG LIPITOR!

SABI RAW NI LOLA AT LOLA NIYA 34 PESOS ATA SA MERCURY! ANG 10MG! 39PESOS ANG 20MG! DAHIL SA MDRP(MAXIMUM DRUG RETAIL PROGRAM) NUNG 2009! ANG DATA NATIN  NA NAHANAP NAKITA AT NABASA NG ATING SENIOR WARRIORS

 ANG ANNUAL SALES NG LI[PITOR AY 750MILLION PESOS! NUMBER 1 IN THE MARKET! AT NUMBER 1 PA ATA SA BUONG MUNDO!

MAM SIR BAKA PASOK NA SA ATING CORE VALUE NA MAXIMIZE REVENUES AND MANAGE COSTS! ANG REVENUE NA ITO
PARA general health and well-being of every Filipino ( NA CORE VALUE RIN NG PFIZER) IBABA NATIN SA 14 PESOS ANG 10MG AT 17 PESOS ANG 2OMG!

BAKIT GANUN KABABA DAHIL SA MASIGASIG NA PANANALIKSIK NG ATING SENIOR WARRIORS MAY BAGO RAW TAYONG GAMOT NA TAWAG AY Rhea GALING DAW SA AMERIKA!
PERO SAME DRUGSTORE MAGBEBENTA--MERCURY DRUG STORE-NUMBER 1 SA PINAS
SAME MANUFACTURER--PFIZER
SAME ADDRESS--KM 1.9 ROAD 689, VEGA BAJA, PUERTO RICO USA
SAME PACKER-PFIZER MANUFACTURING DEUTSCHLAND GMBH, BETRIEBSSATTE, FREIBURG MOOSWALDALLEE1, FREIBURG, GERMANY
SAME IMPORTER-PFIZER,INC- 23RD FL, AYALA LIFE-FGU CENTER, 6811 AYALA AVENUE, MAKATI CITY
SAME SA SUKAT, KULAY, AT PAREHO PA ANG MARKING NA PO156

PAREHO LAHAT PERO ANG PANG PINAG KAIBA AY 20 PESOS SA 10MG! 60% CHEAPER NG LIPITOR! ANG 20MG 55% CHEAPER!

MALIIT SA INYO PERO MALAKI SA MGA MAY SAKIT NG PUSO NA ARAW ARAW ANG GAMIT NG GAMOT NA ITO
MALIIT SA INYO PERO MARAMING MATUTULONG SA ATING SENIORS AT MAY PANG JEEP PEDICAB, O MRT PAPUNTA SA MERCURY!
MALIIT SA INYO PERO MARAMING MABUBUHAY SA BENTE PESOS

SABI NG ATING SENIOR WARRIORS LIPITOR ANG GUSTO NAMIN KESA RHEA KASI BAKA

IBA ANG TAMA SA AMING MGA PUSO
IBA ANG  TAMA SA AMING MGA KATAWAN
IBA ANG AMING PATUTUTUNGUHAN

KAYA ANG AMING PANAWAGAN  SA PAMAHALAAN SIR MAM SANA I SUPPORT NIYO AY PAG ARALAN ANG SECTION 5 EO821 ".... MEDICINES,,, SHALL BE REVIEWED AFTER 3 -6 MONTHS BY THE DOH"KASI 5 YEARS NA PALA ANG MDRP! AT WALANG PANG NAG RE REQUEST NG REVIEW!

PANAHON NA PARA BIGYAN NG PANSIN ANG  ISA PANG HINAING(BUKOD SA CHILDHOOD CANCER) SA ATING LIPUNAN NA WALA PANG PUMAPANSIN ANG HINAING NG ATING MGA LOLO AT LOLA! NA KAILANGAN NG LIPITORFOR LIFE!

                                           KONTING SAKRIPISYO MARAMING MAGBEBENIPISYO!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME!  WILL BE HOPING AND PRAYING FOR A POSITIVE RESPONSE!

INGAT GODBLESS!

JAMES AUSTE
BRAIN CANCER WARRIOR
PATIENT ADVOCATE
FOUNDER ONLY MEMBER OF CANCER WARRIORS SENIORS TEAM!SAMA NA!

**THIS WILL BE THE FIRST PROJECT OF THE CWF SENIORS TEAM!
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