DOH monitoring prices of medicines amid effects of Middle East conflict

The Department of Health (DOH) said that 10 different medicines are now under price monitoring amid concerns of inflating prices due to the effects of the Middle East conflict.

In a Kapihan session on Friday, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said among the medicines to be placed under monitoring were anti-hypertensive medicine, anti-diabetes medicine, anti-cholesterol medicine, and antibiotics, among others.

“Babantayan na namin weekly para makita natin walang nagsasamantala. (We will now monitor it weekly to make sure no one will be taking advantage.) Our problem is what happens to the price. If the companies abroad start charging for the transport,” Herbosa said.

He also clarified that currently there are no supply or price issues when it comes to medicines.

Herbosa noted that the country had a drug price monitoring index and that common medicine prices are maintained under the Cheaper Medicines Act.

“So, minomonitor namin yan. Nagsasubmit yung mga supplier, yung mga botika, yung mga pasyente, kung ano yung presyo ng mga gamot at pinapublish namin yan,” he shared.

(So, we are monitoring that. The suppliers are submitting, the pharmacies, and the patients on what the medicine prices are, and we publish that.)

Prices of medicines in the Philippines are viewable through the eGov app or through dpw.doh.gov.ph. —Jiselle Anne C. Casucian/ VAL, GMA News