Full implementation of drug price caps starts March 23, says Duque

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III announced on Thursday the full implementation of regulating the prices of drugs and medicines starting March 23.

In December 2021, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Executive Order No. 155 that regulated the prices of more medicines used to address the leading causes of morbidity in the country.

Duque said this brings a total number of drugs with maximum drug retail price to 121 molecules or 204 drug formulations, following the first round of price regulation implemented in June 2020 with the signing of EO No. 104 covering 87 molecules.

Some of the medicines and drugs covered by EO No. 155 address the top diseases including hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and colorectal, lung, and breast cancers.

In addition, selected medicines recommended by medical societies have all been included to benefit special populations such as those with chronic kidney disease, organ transplantation, thalassemia, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus.

“The department explained that the Maximum Drug Retail Price (MDRP) is the highest amount a retailer may charge to a consumer for a medicine placed under price regulation. Prices of medicines were reduced at a median of 40% from current retail prices. Reductions were up to as much as 93%,” Duque said in a statement.

He said no medicine under price regulation shall be sold to a customer at a price higher than the MDRP.

Meanwhile, senior citizens and persons-with-disability (PWDs) are also eligible to avail of special discounts of their medicines.

“The DOH, through the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), continuously monitors compliance to the MDRP as part of the government’s thrust to improve access to affordable, quality medicines and reduce the health-related expenses of Filipinos, consistent with the goals of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act,” Duque said.

“The maximum drug retail prices (MDRP) will bring relief to the Filipinos all over the country as they can now better afford the medicines,” he added.

Violations of the MDRP are subject to administrative fines and penalties ranging from P50,000 to P5,000,000 under Republic Act No. 9502 or the Cheaper Medicines Act. —Richa Noriega/KBK, GMA News