Gross violations continue 20 years after enactment of generic drugs act, group laments

MANILA, Philippines — Twenty years have passed since the enactment of the Generics Act but gross violations of the law are still happening, a consumer group lamented on Thursday. Cut the Cost, Cut the Pain Network, or 3CPNet for short, said such violations are happening because consumers are uninformed about their rights under the law. "We recognize that the law helped in the public awareness on the existence of generic drugs. It also led to the production of competing generic drugs that somehow lower the prices of medicines. However, we see a lot of improvement needed in the consciousness of doctors, health professionals and even patients about the prescription of generics," said Salvacion Basiano, spokesperson of 3CPNet, said in a press statement. The group urged the Department of Health to strictly monitor doctors' prescription of generic medicines to ensure the maximum benefits of the Generics Law and enhance education among the health professionals and patients about generics. Basiano noted that in 2003, the Medical Action Group (MAG), a member of 3CPNet, conducted a study and documented violations in the prescription of medicines. Out of the 100 prescriptions presented in selected drug outlets in Metro Manila, 20 of these have violated the law because 15 of the prescriptions have the brand of the medicine only and no generic names. The other 5 prescriptions have clear, legible brand names while the generic names were hardly readable, said the study. Basiano said 3CPNet conducted a similar survey recently although on a limited scale. The survey was conducted in a community pharmacy of Kabalikat ng Botika Binhi in barangay Bagong Silangan, in Novaliches, Quezon City from September 18 to 23, 2008. Out of the 41 prescriptions presented to the counter, 11 contained brand names only with no generic names supplied by the doctor, the survey noted. Basiano said that is 27 percent of the total number of prescriptions, higher than the survey conducted by MAG in 2003 which reported 20 violations out of the 100 collected prescriptions. “These are violations committed against the right of the patients to choose cheaper but of the same quality medicines," she said. To address the problem, 3CPNet urged the DOH to continue implementing the required posting and publication of generic names and corresponding branded medicines at the drug stores and other drug outlets to increase consumer awareness. "The misconception that generic medicines are substandard and therefore patients should patronize branded medicines only does not help in achieving the ultimate objectives of the Generics Law. It is high time that the government conduct an honest assessment of the weaknesses and flaws of the implementation of the Generics Act of 1988," said Basiano. The group pushes for the omnibus amendments of the Generics Law as committed by Sen. Pia Cayetano during the Cheaper Medicines Law debate. According to Basiano, the amendments should address not only the prescription behavior of health professionals but also to resolve the issues on production, distribution, and consumption of generic drugs. - GMANews.TV