Ensuring Access to Safe,

Affordable and Quality

Essential Medicines

3
rd
MeTA Philippines Forum
Dr. Edelina P. Dela Paz, MD
Health Action Information Network

January 27, 2009
Maximum Drug Retail Price (MDRP) and
Government Mediated Access Price
(GMAP)

Implemented starting August 15, 2009
21 medicines (5 under MDRP and 16 under
GMAP)
5 cardiovascular drugs
1 anti-diabetic
5 antibiotics
10 cancer chemotherapy drugs

Maximum Drug Retail Price (MDRP) and
Government Mediated Access Price
(GMAP)

Prices reduced by ~50% based on price of
originator or leading brand

Impact on access to medicines
for the poor?
45% of Filipinos live on less than 2$ a day

22.6% of Filipinos live on less than 1$ a
day
Human Development Report 2009, UNDP
Survey on Medicine Prices and
Availability
HAIN survey on prices and availability of
selected medicines in 1
st
quarter 2009

Prices and availability across 27 private
pharmacies and 21 public outlets

Affordability computed based on median
prices and wages for lowest paid
government worker at the time of survey
Survey on Medicine Prices and
Availability
Philippine prices were compared to
international reference prices and
described as median price ratios
(number of times Philippine price is more
expensive than intl reference price)

Prices in public outlets are lower
than in private outlets, but
The prices of surveyed generic
medicines in private outlets is about
3 times more expensive than those in
public outlets.
availability in public outlets is
poorer than in private outlets.
% Availability* # of outlets
surveyed
Private sector
originator brands
48.1 27
Private sector
Lowest priced
generics
61.1 27
Public sector
Lowest priced
generics
31.0 21
*availability of 30 selected essential medicines
Much cheaper generic equivalents,
compared to the MDRP,
have already been available.
Price of
amlodipine
5 mg cap/tab (in )
Median price originator brand
42.83
MDRP
22.85
Median price lowest priced generics
14.00
Lowest generic price surveyed
8.00
International reference price
1.30
*in surveyed private outlets
Affordability of 30-Day Treatment Course of
Amlodipine 5 mg tablet
*Based on salary of lowest-paid government worker at the time of survey
Cheaper may not always mean affordable.
4.60
2.45
1.50
0.86
0
1
2
3
4
5
Median -
originator
MDRP Median - LPG Lowest Generic
Price Surveyed
N
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b
e
r

o
f

D
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y
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W
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Price of ciprofloxacin
500 mg cap/tab (in )*
Median price originator brand
76.99
GMAP
41.91
Median price lowest priced
generics
25.00
Lowest generic price surveyed
2.30
International reference price
1.5158
Much cheaper generic equivalents,
compared to the GMAP,
have already been available.
*in surveyed private outlets
*Based on salary of lowest-paid government worker at the time of survey
Cheaper may not always mean affordable.
Affordability of 7-Day Treatment Course of
Ciprofloxacin 500 mg tablet
3.86
2.10
1.25
0.12
0
1
2
3
4
5
Median -
originator
GMAP Median - LPG Lowest Generic
Price Surveyed
N
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m
b
e
r

o
f

D
a
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s
'

W
a
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s

Cheaper may not always mean
affordable.
45% of Filipinos live on less than 2$ a day

22.6% of Filipinos live on less than 1$ a
day
Human Development Report 2009, UNDP
Cheaper may not always mean
affordable.
Medicines are not the only source of
expense for a patient.
- laboratory exams/procedures
- if hospitalized, room and board
- professional fees
Human Development Report 2009, UNDP
The imposition of price regulatory control for
medicines may be a positive step for
patients at this time, but a combination of
more comprehensive policies is needed
for medicines to be truly affordable to the
poor.
Clearly the MDRP and the GMAP are not
the prime solution to making essential
medicines available and affordable to our
people, especially the poor.
The duration for patent on medicines must
be shortened so as not to allow monopoly
or control of foreign transnational
companies in the Philippines
Drug Price Regulatory Board with a democratic
representation of consumers and other
stakeholders can be set up temporarily for 3-5
years until processes and mechanisms for price
regulation will now be in place. Price regulation
can not be left only on the authority of the
Secretary of Health and the President of the
Philippines. Stakeholder consultations must be
conducted.

Implementation of National Drug Policies
and programs
Generics Law
ensuring the quality of generic medicines
improving the availability of generic medicines in public
and private outlets
more intensive promotion of low priced generic
medicines to the public

Develop a self reliant national drug
industry that is responsive to the health
needs of our people, especially the poor
Develop technology that will extract and
refine raw materials and chemicals for
medicine production locally
Improve the potentials of herbal medicine
and natural components that are found
locally in the Philippines
Access to essential medicines is part of
the peoples right to health.
Currently, this right is indeed being
violated and the people must demand that
it be freely given.
The need of Filipinos for safe, efficacious,
affordable and quality essential medicines
can only be met when a strong national
health care system is in place and under a
government whose policies consider the
best interest of its people.