The Department of Health (DOH) announced that the public can soon expect more low-priced drugs and medicines in the market now that the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) for the Cheaper Medicine Act has already been signed.

“We have delivered what we have promised. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed the Cheaper Medicines Bill into law last June 6 and 120 days after the law took effect (July 4) and after seven public hearings were conducted, the IRR is now finished and signed,” Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III said.
The health chief disclosed that before the IRR was crafted, the DOH and the Intellectual Property Office gathered public opinion by conducting separately seven public hearings in different parts of the country.
“We need to go through that process in order to listen and answer questions from the buying-public, private organizations and other concerned groups. These public hearings gave them an opportunity to share ideas that hopefully made the IRR more sound and reasonable. It made them part of the crafting of the IRR. It gave them some sense of ownership and that is good,” Duque said.
The DOH chief said that with the IRR in place, the public can expect the prices of drugs and medicines to go down because of the following reasons:
“With the IRR, we can now regulate the prices. Presently, we are already in the process of coming up with policies and the drugs and medicines to be regulated. However, we have to be patient because we have to follow the normal government procedures and process to go through this,” Duque said.
“The IRR can impose on the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHIC) to come up with better service packages so that the “out-of-pocket” expenditures of the public will be reduced and so patients will be substantially reimbursed,” Duque disclosed.
The Secretary added that the IRR can also pave way for quality and affordable generic drugs as well as rationalize the behavior of medical professionals and government health workers because of the amendment to the Generics Law.
“The IRR also allows over-the counter drugs and medicines to be readily available even in non-traditional outlets like supermarkets. So, aside from food and other domestic supplies, the public can also purchase these products under the same roof,” Duque noted.
On the other hand, IPO Director-General Adrian Cristobal, Jr. explained that in the IRR there is an IPO provision that allows off-patent and patented affordable and quality drugs and medicines to get in the local market, through parallel importation, as long as these products meet the requirements and standards of the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD).
“Aside from these, other flexibilities on patent use are allowed like compulsory licensing and implementation of the early working provision for patented drugs,” IPO Director-General Cristobal noted.
In this connection, the DOH said BFAD is now strengthening its capabilities and improving its facilities to meet these demands.
Meanwhile, Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila expressed satisfaction that the IRR will soon take effect.
The DOH said that the IRR will take effect 15 days after its publication last November 5.