Some news reports about drug price control (DPC) in Philippine media in 2019 that I saw. My regular readers know of course my position -- price control (medicines, chicken, rice, coffee,...) is price dictatorship. It is very distortionary and will only worsen a situation, fictional or real, not solve a problem.
(This photo from European pharma review.)
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I also wrote four articles last year on DPC:
See also:
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Magic potions and
medicine men
CTALK - Cito Beltran (The Philippine Star ) - October 2,
2019 - 12:00am
The Department of
Health (DOH) recently announced a radical price cut of 50% or more on 124 kinds
of medicines, as well as certain procedures related to renal disease and cancer
treatments. Normally, people would be saying WOW! But that did not happen; in
fact the media gave it a mere one-day mention in the news….
The DOH and
government should first focus on the need for early consultation, bringing down
the high cost of procedures and laboratory examinations etc. I heard about a
hospital administrator who explained how he brought a major hospital from
bankruptcy to profit “by making it a policy that patients undergo a barrage of
examinations during the first 24 or 48 hours of admission. That is when the
hospital makes the biggest profit margin, after that the hospital is nothing
more than an inexpensive hotel”.
Pharma industry
pledges lower medicine prices
By: Tina G. Santos - Reporter / @santostinaINQPhilippine Daily
Inquirer / 03:58 AM October 14, 2019
“We share the same
objective with the Department of Health (DOH) to lower medicine prices. We are
exploring partnerships and we want to work hand in hand with the DOH in making
quality medicines and health care services more accessible,” said Teodoro
Padilla, executive director of the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of
the Philippines (PHAP).
Padilla said the
industry would ask for a meeting with Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to
harmonize their effort not just in lowering medicine prices by up to 84 percent
for various disease categories but also in ensuring that patients were
supported throughout their journey.
Pharma wants
bigger budget for UHC
Mayen Jaymalin (The Philippine Star ) - October 14, 2019
- 12:00am
“We hope to discuss
existing high-impact patient assistance programs by individual PHAP members
that give free screening and diagnostic tests, education and counseling and special
medicine pricing for patients to lower total treatment cost,” Padilla said in a
statement.
Citing a study on
the impact of the first round of the maximum retail price (MRP) in 2009,
Padilla said the poor did not fully benefit from it.
Padilla said strong
health insurance systems are needed to cover for the medicine and health care
expenses that would have been taken from the family’s savings.
Pharma companies
offer to cut drug prices
Janella Paris
Published 3:05 PM, October 25, 2019
MANILA, Philippines
– At least 18 multinational pharmaceutical companies are in talks with the
Department of Health (DOH) to reduce prices of drugs for “major
non-communicable diseases, infectious diseases, and rare disorders” like
diabetes and high blood pressure.
In a statement
Thursday, October 24, Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the
Philippines (PHAP) said some members met with DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III
and patient organizations earlier this week to discuss lowering medicine prices…
PHAP also said its
members would offer medical assistance programs for more “holistic and
comprehensive assistance” to patients. These programs would assist patients
from diagnosis, to treatment, to monitoring. PHAP members include multinational
companies like GSK, Pfizer, Sanofi, and Zuellig Pharma.
PHAP: Price
control on medicine detrimental to patients
Sheila Crisostomo (The Philippine Star ) - December 5,
2019 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines
— Imposing price controls on medicines will be detrimental to patients,
pharmacists and drug stores, the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of
the Philippines (PHAP) said yesterday.
PHAP executive
director Teodoro Padilla said having price ceilings on medicines would “kill
small retailers and force manufacturers to reconsider plans to launch new
medicine in the country.”
“Drug companies may
even withdraw existing products, hurting patients instead of helping them,”
Padilla said.
----------------I also wrote four articles last year on DPC:
Universal
healthcare via lower medicine taxes and tariffs
September 18, 2019 | 6:50 pm
My Cup Of Liberty
By Bienvenido S. Oplas, Jr.
The DoH budget and
drug price control
October 2, 2019 | 11:52 pm
My Cup Of Liberty
By Bienvenido S. Oplas, Jr.
Bureaucracy
control and drug price control
November 4, 2019 | 8:48 pm
My Cup Of Liberty
By Bienvenido S. Oplas, Jr.
Price control,
fare control and tax decontrol
December 18, 2019 | 10:40 pm
My Cup Of Liberty
By Bienvenido S. Oplas, Jr.
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See also:
Drug Price Control 40: CWF Wants Price Dictatorship for Lipitor, September 12, 2014
Drug Price Control 41: Exchanges with Joey Ochave at MeTA PH, September 17, 2014
Drug Price Control 42: New Round of India Price Caps, September 25, 2014
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