Manila Bulletin – September 14, 2007

The Senate Committees on Trade and Health held a joint hearing Wednesday, with the Philippine International Trade Trading Corp. (PITC) presenting its program of providing select drugs to Filipinos at more affordable cost.

Efforts to provide more of such drugs have been hampered by the overly stringent patent system in the country, which makes for a less competitive environment, according to Sen. Mar Roxas, who presided over the hearing.

The senator cited the experience of the PITC which, he said, is still facing law suits from big pharmaceutical companies over its program for the importation of more affordable medicines.

Roxas said that when he was secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry, he was among international leaders who pushed for the eventual granting of patent flexibilities for developing countries, through the Trade Related Intellectual Property System (TRIPS).

In its presentation to the Senate last Wednesday, the PITC showed the savings brought about by its program.

The PITC said the drugs it imported were selected by the following criteria: inclusion in the core list of essential drugs determined by the Department of Health (DoH); they address leading causes of mortality and morbidity; they are responsive to market demand; there is a wide-differential between prices in the Botika ng Bayan and those in major drugstore chains; and they were off-patent as of the date of importation.

He said aside from PITC, there were other avenues to procure quality, affordable drugs, such as through the DOH and local governments.