Report ‘drugstore-violators’ of drugs price cut – PHAP

by A. Lumaque

Roxas City (19 August) — Drugstores and pharmacies defying the 50 percent price cut on 49 brand names of essential drugs that took effect last August 15 must be reported to proper authorities for appropriate action.

This was disclosed by Private Hospital Association of the Philippines (PHAP) Executive Vice President and Capiz Emmanuel Hospital (CEH) Administrator Jessie Contreras as he encouraged consumers to keep receipts of their medicine purchases to help identify drugstores that are not with the Cheaper Medicines Act.

“It is better that there are complaints so that I could bring these to Department of Health Secretary Duque during our PHAP meeting in Manila on Aug. 24,” he stressed.

He also noted that complaints against erring drugstores maybe lodged at his office at the CEH.

The PHAP official has also clarified that Capiz – based private hospital pharmacies are compliant with President Gloria Macapagal – Arroyo’s Executive Order 821 which mandates a 50–percent cut on the prices of five medicines considered essential and currently sold at exorbitant prices in the country.

The medicines with cheaper prices include anti-hypertensives, anti-thrombotic, anti-diabetic/antihypoglycemic, and antibiotic/antibacterial.

The DOH has set up complaint desks with hotline numbers 807-0751 and 807-8275 for Metro Manila consumers’ drugs price cut related concerns.

However, consumers in the provinces can view the hotlines as indicated on the list posted on drugstores and pharmacies.

DOH Secretary Duque said that he will call for an investigation on the erring drugstores before they will file charges for violation of the Consumer’s Act with punishment fines and possible revocation of license to operate.

Big drugstores and hospital pharmacies were given the August 15 deadline to comply with the price cut while small drugstores and medium-scale drugstores with inventory systems were given up to September 15 to comply. (PIA)