Pharma industry pledges lower medicine prices

MANILA, Philippines — The pharmaceutical industry has committed to work with the health department in a bid to lower medicine prices and widen health care access for the Filipino people.

“We share the same objective with the Department of Health (DOH) to lower medicine prices. We are exploring partnerships and we want to work hand in hand with the DOH in making quality medicines and health care services more accessible,” said Teodoro Padilla, executive director of the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP).

Padilla said the industry would ask for a meeting with Health Secretary Francisco Duque III to harmonize their effort not just in lowering medicine prices by up to 84 percent for various disease categories but also in ensuring that patients were supported throughout their journey.

PHAP also aims to discuss existing high-impact patient assistance programs by individual PHAP members that provide free screenings and diagnostic tests, education and counseling and special medicine pricing for patients to lower total treatment cost.

Padilla said these patient assistance programs could serve as a framework for future expansion of the cooperation with the government.