The Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP) has asked the government through the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) to consider more sustainable approaches to improving access to medicines instead of price control.
The call was made by PHAP officials in a recent webinar on the Philippine Competition Act (PCA) and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) recently organized by the PCC.
PHAP said sustainable solutions include increasing budget and providing subsidies for health, expanding pooled procurement, and institutionalizing price negotiation.
Instead of price controls on medicines, PHAP appealed to the government to consider subsidies for healthcare, price negotiation and pooled procurement as alternative mechanisms in reducing prices of medicines.
“Price negotiation and pooled procurement are tools provided under the Universal Health Care Act to help the government evaluate the value of innovative medicines vis í vis industry cost and sustainability. Moreover, adopting a price negotiation scheme will bring down prices as has been shown in other countries to which the Philippines is being compared with. These countries employ a single payer system where the government negotiates and buys on their citizens’ behalf,” said PHAP president Dr. Beaver Tamesis.
Tamesis said pooled procurement and price negotiations are also provided under the National Integrated Cancer Control Act, which together with the UHC Act call for private sector participation to facilitate both laws’ full implementation.
“PHAP and our member companies are committed to support the government in making these landmark health laws benefit the poor, marginalized and vulnerable,” Tamesis said.
He added: “We hope that the government, through the PCC, can urgently help the research-based pharmaceutical industry by creating a business environment conducive to innovation. This can be achieved by building capabilities for advanced science, technology, and innovation; formulating policies that enable, support and incentivize innovation; and forging public-private partnerships to ensure pharmaceutical security and improve access to medicines.”
PCC chairman Arsenio Balisacan noted the inclusion of the pharmaceutical sector among the PCC’s priority sectors for 2020 and highlighted its key role in the fight against COVID-19.
