(Update) Cheaper medicines bill signed into law

STA. CRUZ, LAGUNA, Philippines - A measure intended to enhance access to generic drugs finally became law Friday, with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo calling it the completion of government efforts to provide cheaper medicines to Filipinos. "We all know about the Generics Law before but it was incomplete. Now with the cheaper medicines bill, we have completed, I believe, our legislative reforms in bringing affordable medicines to the people," Mrs. Arroyo said during signing ceremonies at the Laguna Provincial Hospital. Republic Act 9502, or the "Universally Accessible Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act of 2008", amends the Intellectual Property Code to enhance competition in the drug industry. The new law allows the parallel importation of patented medicines from other countries where these are more affordable. It also bars the grant of new patents based only on newly-discovered uses of a known drug substance. Generics firms will be allowed to test, produce, and register their versions of patented drugs. The President is also empowered to impose price ceilings on various drugs upon the recommendation of the Health Secretary. Drug outlets will be required to carry a variety of medicine brands, including those sourced through parallel importation, to give consumers more choices. A congressional panel, to be named the Quality Affordable Medicines Oversight Committee, will be formed to monitor implementation of the law. The Department of Health (DoH) said the new law would boost efforts to add Botika ng Bayan (BNB) outlets — government-licensed stores that sell cheaper medicines to the poor. "Since the cost of medicines in the country has been consistently and continuously prohibitive, the poor has limited access to these essential goods, bringing a perpetual cycle of impoverishment, deaths, and diseases," Health Secretary Francisco Duque said. "With the signing of the act, the DoH is put into high gear to further accelerate efforts to expand BNB drug outlets with the goal of 15,000 BNBs nationwide by 2010. "The D0H also will be launching very affordable treatment packs very soon for common diseases at maximum prices of P100 for a one-to-two week treatment course." Mrs. Arroyo ordered the Health department to fast-track the crafting of the law’s implementing rules, which have to finalized within 120 days. "The rules will tackle actual ways to lower medicines and set price caps. I believe the Secretary of Health has started working on it. It (the rules) may be finished in the next few weeks," said Iloilo Rep. Ferjenel G. Biron, one of the principal authors of the bill. The new law complements the Generics Act of 1988, which required, among others, that generic names of medicines be included in all medical practitioners. The "Universally Accessible Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act of 2008" was a priority measure listed by the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council. It was bypassed during the 13th Congress due to lack of time and quorum but was finally approved last April 29 by the House of Representatives and the Senate. - Alexis Douglas B. Romero, BusinessWorld