MANILA, Philippines — Prices of antihypertensive medicines slightly increased due to the rising inflation, as well as the depreciation of the Philippine peso, the Department of Health (DOH) said Wednesday.
This was based on the DOH’s price monitoring in December 2022, said Department of Health officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire in a press forum
“Alam naman po natin na mga gamot within the market system, kung saan pag nagkaka-inflation, nagkaka-devaluation ng peso, syempre commodity ‘yan, tataas bababa depende sa pagtaas and pagbaba rin ng peso,” she added.
(We know that drugs are within the market system, where there is rising inflation, there is a devaluation of the peso, of course, these are commodities, there will also be adjustments in prices depending on the increase or decrease in the value of the peso.)
Despite this, Vergeire said that in general, prices remained the same due to Executive Order (EO) No. 155, which imposed a maximum retail price (MRP) and maximum wholesale price (MWP) on selected drugs and medicines.
According to Vergeire, the said drugs include maintenance medicines for hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and colon, rectal, lung and breast cancers.
These price caps are still in effect and the DOH can regulate them so these medicines will remain accessible and affordable, said Vergeire.
The inflation rate in the country rose in December to 8.1 percent, the highest since November 2008.
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