Press Release
January 16, 2009

Transcript of press conference at formal opening of
 Zydus Philippines' branch office

On implementation of the Cheaper Medicines Act:

Q: How is it assured that Zydus' generics are of the same quality as branded drugs?

MAR: This is what is known in the trade as 'branded generic.' They manufacture generic products only because the patented protection of these products has already expired. So the formulation is already in the public domain, internationally. This is an $850-million company, selling their products, having their products pass the respective BFADs of the US, France, Japan, the Philippines and other countries.

These are quality products at one-fifth the price. So the challenge to the DoH is this: DoH hospitals, DoH doctors, you have the same product delivering the same therapeutic benefit at one-fifth the price, and your hospitals are still buying the P125 tablet. And why are you still prescribing the P125 tablet when in fact the P25 tablet is already available here, which by the way, that P25 tablet already passed your very own BFAD in terms of quality. So that is where the rubber meets the road, where the real issue is.

As to the maximum retail price provision, the law never said that it is a tool of last resort. That is a tool to be used by the Department of Health precisely to establish maximum retail prices for these very, very important medicines. Yes, it's difficult, yes, it might require some research, economic, financial, training and so forth, but this information is already available. And I'm bothered that the Department of Health, this early, even before it has already put out the maximum retail price, is already giving signals that, oh, this is very difficult, we must be fair... Wait a minute, the government is the representative of the people. The only people you must be fair to are the consumers of these medicines. The big pharmaceutical companies can take care of themselves. They have their lawyers, accountants, lobbyists, so they can take care of themselves. Precisely the government is there, to balance out their interests, precisely in favor of the consumers.

So these maximum retail prices, for example, if in fact you find that there's a P25 equivalent, not just manufactured by Zydus but by so many others, then the maximum retail price ought to be P25 or say P30, but certainly not anywhere near P125. I would say that for the system and the government to continue to allow the charging of P125 medicine is in the nature of qualified theft. We are allowing the taking of this money from poor people's pockets for what they can't afford, when in fact an equivalent is already available.

Sinasabi nila itong maximum retail price ay huling hakbang na lang sa dulo, for when everything else has failed. Kaya nagkaroon tayo ng batas: everything else has failed. Kaya naglagay tayo ng probisyon, na magkaroon na ng maximum retail price. Dapat sundin ito sa Botika ng Bayan at ng mga nagbebenta. This is precisely why I say, kailangan nating kulitin, kalampagin ang gobyerno, para maisakatuparan itong Quality Affordable Medicines Law.

Q: Some complain that some medicines are not available at the Botika ng Bayan.

MAR: Marahil na maraming sinasabi ng gobyerno ay propaganda lang. Mayroon ngang Botika ng Bayan, wala namang gamot, walang supply. Mayroong sinasabing ganito, ganoon, wala namang implementasyon.

Ang Botika ng Barangay, ako nagsimula nito noong nasa DTI ako. In fact, kinasuhan ako ng mga pharmaceutical companies, una akong nagpasok ng mga gamot na ito noong 2000-2001. So tayo nagpasok nito, inilagay natin sa Botika ng Barangay, pero noong nakaalis na ako, ano ang nangyari? Halimbawa, sa Norvasc, P45, yung presyo namin doon ay P5. Ano ang ginawa ng Botika ng Bayan? Ginawa nilang P22. E bakit sila matutuwa sa half-price, samantala pwedeng one-tenth the price. Sa India, P3 lang yung gamot, na kahit dinoble mo pa iyon na P6, o doblehin pa na P12, mas menos pa iyon kaysa sa P22 na binebenta ng Botika ng Bayan. Kaya parang nawala yung direksyon ng Botika ng Bayan.

Ang importante dito ang pursigido at determinadong aksyon ng gobyerno, na lagyan ng pera ang programang ito. Pangalawa, sabihin sa lahat ng government hospitals, you can only buy medicines that are within this price band. Pangatlo, dito sa Philhealth, mag-reimburse lang sila sa medicines that comply with this price band, nang sa ganoon, the market power of the government can be used to moderate prices. Kung ang gobyerno, national and local, will be buying at these prices, then the only ones who will pay these higher prices will be the rich.

The rich, they can do what they want with their own money. If they want to pay P125, that's their business. But we are talking of tax money, people's money, which should go now for quality, affordable medicines. Quality is not an issue because all these medicines pass through BFAD, so it's just affordability and availability. It might be affordable only in press release, but it must also be available in the botika. That's what government must do. We in the Senate, our job is to remind the government of the nature of the law, and to ensure that in fact the provisions of the law are complied with.

On the kidnapping of International Red Cross members:

MAR: It's a tragedy. Nagpapakita na magulo pa rin sa Mindanao. Dapat yung malinaw na proseso tungo sa peace talks ay magsimula. Pero hindi pwede na patago ito. Hindi pwede na ma-chop-chop ang ating bansa rito. At ang integridad ng ating bansa ang siyang mapangalagaan.

Q: The suspects are supposedly minors.

MAR: Minor o major man, ito ay isang criminal act, at hindi dapat makulayan ng pulitika o ideolohiya o kaya ng relihiyon. Ang pagdadakip sa isang tao laban sa kanyang kagustuhan ay isang krimen, sa kahit anong lenggwahe, relihiyon o sistema. Kaya dapat pakawalan ang mga ito, mga inosente ito, at huwag gamitin ang mga inosente sa pagsulong ng kung anu-ano mga agenda.

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