Assessment of the universally accessible cheaper Medicines Act of 2008: Feasibility and effectiveness

• Main Author: Lim, Cristina Teresa N.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2012
• Subjects: Pharmacy—Law and legislation—Philippines; Drugs—Prices—Law and legislation—Philippines; Drugs—Effectiveness; Food and Drug Law
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_doctoral/1240
• Institution: De La Salle University

The study aimed to assess if Republic Act No. 9502, otherwise known as Cheaper Medicines Act of 2008 has been adequately implemented in making cardiovascular medicines accessible and affordable in the Philippines. Sample respondents were drawn from Manila, Makati and Quezon City. Pharmaceutical companies cardiologists and internal medicine specialists and out-patients from charity wards of selected public and private hospitals and drugstores) were interviewed. Two years after its implementation, Republic Act No. 9502 has not succeeded in making medicines accessible and affordable. Medicines are still expensive and branded medicines are still dispensed, prescribed and purchased more than generic medicines. Stakeholders have low level of perception of the CMA resulting to non-compliance. They also believed that RA 9502 is not strong enough to enforce generic prescription while patients are apprehensive of the effectiveness of generic medicines. Pharmaceutical companies experienced a decreased in the production output. This led to the streamlining of their operations and retrenchment of their production, sales and marketing personnel. Thus, CMA was not able to encourage pharmaceutical companies (foreign and local) to manufacture and offer for sale generic medicines. Thus, in order to ensure the success of its implementation, the following measures are recommended: (a) uniform monitoring and linked databases (b) synthesize and disseminate information (c) promote information feedback from all directions (d) promote initiatives to supplement and complement the Act and (e) review the set of drugs which are part of the MDRP list and check if there are drugs to be added on the list.