The Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) has urged the Department of Health (DOH) to expedite the review and inclusion of additional medicines such as those for cough and breast cancer into the Philippine National Formulary to make these more accessible to Filipinos.
This was one of the recommendations of the PSAC Health in its last meeting for the year with President Marcos Jr. on Thursday.
“Expanding this list to include treatments for conditions such as cough and breast cancer would make essential medicines more accessible to those who rely on the public health system,” PSAC said in a statement.
The PNF contains the essential medicines list and is the basis for tailored procurement of medicines in public health facilities.
PSAC also called for the immediate amendments to Republic Act 11223 (UHC Act) to streamline the approval process for new medicines and treatment, saying the current procedure can be lengthy and complex.
“By updating administrative policies, the government could accelerate approvals without compromising legal standards,” the group said.
PSAC also recommended adding more personnel to the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Council to boost its productivity and bring it Iine with international benchmarks.
PSAC said the HTA Council, which plays a vital role in reviewing new medicines, is struggling to meet demand with a staff of only 30. It also recommended the conduct of targeted training programs for HTA assessors to equip them with the skills needed to keep pace with rising demand for swift decision-making.
