Fuss, fury over cheaper meds bill heightens
The fuss and 'fury' over the Cheaper Medicines Bill being introduced in Congress heightens with members of the Ilonggo medical community divided over the issue.
With Ilonggo solons in the forefront of the now controversial Bill, sentiments ran high among physicians in private and government practice.
Representative Janette Loreto-Garin (First District, Province of Iloilo) is the co-sponsor of the Bill in the Lower House version. A doctor herself, Garin pushes for the amendments 'attacked' by the Philippine Medical Association (PMA).
Another prominent Cheaper Medicine Bill House proponent is Iloilo Fourth District Representative Ferjinel Biron.
Garin was seen in several TV guestings that prompted yet another round of local debates and discussions here over local radio and television stations.
As a general 'rule' though, Ilonggo doctors under the Iloilo Medical Society (IMS) back the PMA position, the group being the biggest organization of Filipino doctors in the country.
Focus of the controversy is on the amendment pushed that prohibits prescription of a branded medicine. Current practice in accordance of the Generics Act of 1988 provides for all prescription to have the generic name of the medicine and the brand name preferred.
With the Bill now awaiting bicameral action and resolution, reports have it that the member-doctors of the PMA are threatening to do a "walk-out" in order to fully verbalize the group's protest.
Dr. Florentino Alerta II, IMS public relations officer in private practice now and corporate physician of one major shipping company here stressed that the PMA stance remains the IMS position. This, as he shied away from the walk-out threat saying as a doctor, they are under oath do no harm.
"We deal with the lives of the patients… they are not machines with replaceable parts…we are taught to cure and care for the patients and the center of our services is about that," Dr. Alerta said when reached for comment by The News Today (TNT).
As for the "perks" issue that continues to hounds the PMA, Dr. Alerta said, "what perks? There are no strings attached whenever we prescribe branded medicines. Definitely no strings attached with drug companies. If they invite us, those are for continuing medical education."
"Generics law is good and it made medicines affordable. But the amended one being introduced where the right of the doctor to specify the brand alongside the generic name is stripped, that is not right and fair," Dr. Alerta added.
The IMS was set to meet yesterday with a latest statement on the issue expected to be released.
"We, the physicians of the Philippines subscribe to the objectives of the Generics Acts of 1988 and fully support initiatives to lower the cost of medicines. Above all, we seek to promote the safety of our patients and protect their trust and confidence in us," the PMA statement went. "We are deeply concerned therefore that a proposed amendment to the existing Generics Act inserted in the House version of the Cheaper Medicines Bill makes otherwise simple medicine treatment vulnerable to delays and confusion and puts patient safety at risk by disallowing physicians from including their recommended brands in their prescriptions which through their long year of experiences have been proven to be effective and safe. Physicians are ethically accountable for the success or failure of their patients' treatment."
Iloilo First District Board Member Macario Napulan, yet another practicing doctor for his part expressed concerns on the reliability of the Bureau of Food and Drugs Administration (BFAD), the regulating body of the government.