The Health department said Thursday it will recommend a price reduction on 120 “high-cost” medicines as part of the maximum drug retail price scheme.
In a statement, the department said the proposed list covers drugs for leading diseases and conditions in the Philippines such as hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, chronic lung diseases, neonatal diseases, and major cancers.
The list also includes the high-cost treatments for chronic renal disease, psoriasis, and rheumatoid arthritis.
“Drug prices must come down to fair and affordable levels. We have to achieve universal health care, financial risk protection and prevent disaster to the family,” Health Undersecretary Rolando Enrique Domingo said.
And to guarantee that the public has access to vital health information, the department on Thursday launched an online list of medicines and guidelines on the proper use of antibiotics.
The department said the online Philippine National Formulary provides information on the use of essential drugs for priority diseases in the country.
Under the MDRP scheme, the prices of the selected medicines are expected to have a mean price reduction of 56 percent from the prevailing market prices.
Domingo said Filipinos were still paying higher prices for medicine compared with other countries, and despite the general trend of prices of generic essential medicines having gone down in recent years.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III will submit the list to President Rodrigo Duterte, who is expected to issue an executive order.
The proposed list of drugs and medicines for price regulation was created in August 2018 following a directive from the chief executive to make medicines affordable to Filipinos.
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