Negros officials to help ensure implementation of CML
BACOLOD CITY — Mayor Evelio Leonardia assured the public that they will help the Department of Health and the Bureau of Food and Drugs in the implementation of the Cheaper Medicines Law.
Last Monday, Leonardia instructed the Price Monitoring Council to tie up with the City Health Office in monitoring the prices of medicines in the city.
Leonardia said this is to ensure the proper implementation of Cheaper Medicines Act in all big drugstores as it already took effect last August 15 as announced by the Department of Health.
The Price Monitoring Council, which is chaired by Leonardia, is composed of various stakeholders from the government agencies to private sectors like the Department of Trade and Industry, Bacolod City Police Office, City Planning and Development Office, City Accounting, City Agriculturist and other representatives.
Dr. Salome Biñas, Bacolod City Health Officer, said they will deploy 13 sanitary inspectors to monitor the prices of medicines in the three big drug stores in the city.
She said these include five outlets of the Mercury Drug Store, 25 outlets of the Negros Grace Pharmacy, and eight outlets of Sincere Drug Store.
Meanwhile, Gov. Isidro Zayco said that the province is with the public in ensuring the proper compliance of the law decreasing the prices of important medicines.
Zayco said the people can call or go to the Office of the Governor or the Provincial Health Office and lodge their complaint for proper action of the province.
Under the Executive Order 821, a 50% price reduction will be imposed starting August 15 on drugs like amlodipine (including its S-isomer and all salt form), an anti-hypertensive drug; the anti-cholesterol atorvastatin; the antibiotic/antibacterial azithromycin (and all its salt form); and the anti-neoplastics/anti-cancer cytarabine and doxorubicin (and all its salt form).