Philippine Congress Agrees DOH To Have Drug Price-Regulation Authority
This article was originally published in PharmAsia News
Executive Summary
House and Senate negotiators resolving conflicting versions of The Philippines' Quality and Affordable Medicines Bill have agreed the Department of Health is to oversee and regulate the prices of drugs. The conference committee failed to reach agreement on a disputed provision in one version of the bill that instructs physicians to write prescriptions only for generic drugs. Otherwise, one of the leaders said 90 percent of the bill has been completed. The DOH was given price-regulation authority because committee members believed it had the necessary expertise. The bills as passed by each house would have put that authority in the Office of the President or create a price-setting board. (Click here for more