Philippines implements new cheaper medicines law

Thursday 4 December 2008
Ian Haydock - Asia reporter

The Philippines has now finalised the implementing rules and regulations for the cheaper medicines legislation it passed earlier this year after lengthy debate. The rules clarify how the new law should be applied in practice and there is no change to its basic provisions.

Republic Act 9502, or the Universally Accessible Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act, formally took effect by administrative order late last month after a series of public hearings overseen by the departments of health (DoH) and trade and industry. The law contains a number of amendments to the intellectual property (IP) code, with those relating to compulsory licensing drawing most comments during the consultation process.

In the event, however, there appears to have been no watering down of the intentions of the act, which is to drive down the prices of common drugs. The legislation also enshrines changes to allow the early working of patents, grants the government sweeping price control authority, and strengthens the existing Generics Act to require wider government and prescriber use of generic names (Scrip Online, June 25th, 2008).

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