Nagbabantang magboycott ang ilang mga doktor dahil sa sa isang provision ng Cheaper Medicine Bill na naglalamang tanging generic na gamot lamang ang pwedeng ireseta ng mga doktor na kung saan ayon sa PMA (Philippine Medical Association) na magkaiba ang epekto ng gamot na branded kaysa sa generic na gamot kahit pareho ng sangkap ang dalawang gamot, na kung saan mas pinipili ng mga ilang pasyente ang mga gamot na generic dahil sa mura ito ngunit sa kasamaang palad mahina ang epekto nitong magpagaling sa mga pasyente. At ayon kay Dr. Rey Melchor Santos VP ng PMA na iisipin ng mga pasyente na di magaling ang doktor dahil di nagrerespond ang gamot sa kanila dahil iba ang brand na binili nila.Sa kabilang banda naman ay nagtataka ang isa sa mga may akda ng panukalang ito na isa ring doktor na si Rep. Ferjenel Biron ng 4th District ng Iloilo na ayon sa kanya nakasaad sa Generics law na generic lang ang pwedeng ilagay ngunit nasa doktor na ito kung ilalagay nila ang brand ng gamot at ayon din sa kanya hindi rin nangangahulugan na mababa ang quality ng gamot na mura. Ngunit itinakda pa rin ng PMA ang kanilang motorcade sa January 27 bilang kilos protesta.
Ang Sa Wari Ko: Maipasa man ng Cheaper Medicine Bill ay nakasalalay pa rin sa doktor kung paano nila pangangalaagan ang kalusugan ng pasyente, generic man o branded ang kanilang ireseta. Sang ayon ako sa layunin ng mga doktor na isipin ang kapakanan ng mga pasyente para gumaling agad pero sa kabilang banda ay iniisip ko rin ang kapakanan ng mga pasyenteng may kakayahang makabili ng gamot na inirereseta sa kanila. Imbis na generic lang ang pagtuunang pansin, marahil gumawa ng isang panukalang tutulong pababain ang halaga ng mga gamot na branded para abot kayang bilhin ito ng mga pasyente o gumawa ng isang grupo sa Department of Health na tutulong sa mga pasyenteng nangangailangan ng tulong o financial support sa kanilang pagpapagaling. Sana mas bigyan ng pansin ng gobyerno ang bigyan ng dagdag budget ang kalusugan ng mga mamamayan bukod sa pinapatibay nilang security ng bansa.
34 comments:
tol, matagal nang pinagdebatehan kung ano ang kaibahan ng generic at branded. pareho lang. ang kaibahan lang mas mahal yung branded.
di ko masyado alam kung bakit tutol dito ang mga doktor. maliban na lang sa alam ko na kapag nagre-reseta sila ng mga branded na gamot, me nakukuha sila from the pharmaceutical companies. call it like sales bonus for their PR effort.
if that's the case, sempre kpag generic, malaking bawas ito sa kita nila.
ala ay yun naman eh sawari ko laang.
I find it restricting that they want a law that will tell a doctor only to write the generic name of the drugs for their patients. In the present practice, both the generic and the brand names are written in prescriptions. I think this is already enough as it gives the patients options whether to buy the brand that is suggested by their doctor or to look for alternatives: same generic name but different brand, be it cheaper. The choice is left to the patient, with in mind the advise of the doctor. There are reasons why doctors prefer certain brands. It may be in their experience with their patients, they find those brands better than others they have prescribed. It's not only simply because medical representatives cover them so that they'd endorse these products.
Cheaper Medicine Bill, I think, would be helpful for the people, but the lawmakers should consider very carefully the practicality and usefulness of the laws they want to pass.
Thanks for the comments buraot and doc prudence sana kung ano man kalabasan ng cheaper medicine bill mas nakakabuti at hindi sa kapakanan lamang ng iilang kumpanya
Just my thoughts:
It is true that Generic drugs are of the same therapeutic efficacy as that of their branded equivalents.
The commissions/allowances that doctors receive from pharmaceutical companies has been an open secret for quite sometime now and I also believe that this was probably one of the reasons why these doctors are protesting the generics only provisions on the cheaper medicines bill. Misinformation about the generic drugs is probably another reason but well, that's another case.
I find it disappointing that some doctors would go as far as threatening a boycott just to have this provision deleted from the bill. Prescribing in the generic name only will greatly help poor patients who do not have enough funds to buy expensive and branded medicines - medicines, which are often being prescribed in its brand name.
I believe these doctors have no right to demand such things from our legislators. Threatening the another boycott (remember the hospital holiday in protest of the Hospital Detention Law?) is simply too much. They have no right to hostage their patients just because their personal interests are at stake.
thank you cyanide.
Prudence: I don't think it is enough that the doctors merely prescribe the generic names alongside the branded drugs. Prescribing the branded drugs already creates an impression in the patient's mind that the generic drug is not as effective as the branded drug. This is precisely why the prescription of branded medicines has become a cash cow for unscrupulous doctors. Because doctors are supposed to know best, the average patient will just defer to the "better judgment" of the doctor and eke out the money to buy the branded drug. The best proof that the present system isn't working is the fact that the prices of branded drugs are still high. That means more people are still opting for the branded drugs that they think are "better" because these drugs were preferred by their doctor. This is why the government has had to resort to parallel importation and has been accordingly saddled by litigation from multinational drug companies. To its credit, the government has stood tall against these companies and the doctors for whom prescribing branded drugs has been such a lucrative source of income.
We need the Cheaper Medicines Bill precisely to bring down the prices of medicines, and this can only be accomplished if doctors are barred from influencing the choices of their patients through the prescription of branded medicines. A contrary provision will defeat the main purpose of the bill.
to everyone:
Please refer to my post about the Cheaper Medicines Bill at http://health.tesstermulo.com/?p=419
Lack of knowledge is dangerous. But erroneous knowledge is more dangerous still.
To Jane:
Not all generics are therapeutically bioequivalent to branded drugs, as branded drugs often are the innovative drug. Generic drugs actually do not undergo clinical trials as rigorous as the branded drugs. I refer you to my post in my health blog, http://health.tesstermulo.com for more of my thoughts on these.
Buraot: Di palagi pareho ang generic at branded. Yung ibang gamot tulad ng Amoxicillin, hindi 100% amoxicillin ang laman ng tableta. Merong kahalong chemical ito para pumasok sa ating katawan. Kahit pareho dosage ng gamot ang binili mo, di ibig sabihin pareho ang dami ng gamot na inaabsorb ng katawan mo! Di lang yun, magkaibang chemical nang magkaparehong generic drug pwedeng magdulot nang iba't ibang side effect tulad ng sakit nang ulo, pagubo, allergy, etc. Sumatutal, walang gamot ang 100% effective, walang gamot ang merong 0% side effect!
Buraot/prudence: Nakakainsulto sabihin mo na meron nakukuhang kapalit ang mga doktor kapag nagreseta sila ng branded na gamot. Isolated incidents lang ang ganitong practice, at usually hindi it dinedemand ng doctor kundi kusang nagbibigay ang drug companies.
Jane: it's true that patient's may rely on the doctor's experience on which drug is better, but if you take away the doctor's freedom to express his preferred drug, PATIENTS WILL INSTEAD RELY ON PHARMACISTS TO MAKE THE CHOICE FOR THEM. Not all drugs have cheap generic versions, and enforcing this bill won't force drug stores to stockpile cheap generic drugs. Consider this: branded drug X is bought by the drug store for P40 from the pharmaceutical company, so the store sells it for P60. Assuming the store follows the spirit of the bill and also buys generic drug X for P4 from and importer and sells it to patients for P10. Sales people at the drug store would naturally recommend branded drug X since the store would profit P20 from it instead of P6 from the generic drug. Why didn't the patient choose the generic drug? The drug store could lie and deny they have a generic version, or they could just avoid stockpiling on generic drugs altogether. Who would you prefer to trust more, the doctor who actually knows the patient or the pharmacist who just dispenses the drug? Besides, even if doctors indicate their preferred brand, pharmacists can still substitute another BRANDED drug for it. I personally witnessed a pharmacist substituting Mefenamic acid for a customer with a prescription for Celecoxib!
Cyannide: same efficacy=yes as long as it is absorbed the same. Same side effects- hell no! Read my comments above.
Cyanide/prudence: the general public don't understand what the doctors are fighting for. The Generics drug act has been in place for years and the doctors have no problem with it. But taking away the doctor's ability to indicate what they think is the best drug for the patient and leaving the patient's very life at the mercy of the price market and some unscrupulous drug stores is what is at stake. Some generic drugs are as effective as branded ones, some are not. I AM A DOCTOR, AND I ALSO CRINGE WHEN I BUY EXPENSIVE MEDICINES PRESCRIBED TO ME BY MY PULMONOLOGIST WHENEVER I HAVE ASTHMATIC ATTACKS. I have tried to self-medicate myself with cheaper medicines, but it always takes a longer time for me to get well compared to the more expensive ones.
BTW, you know what the Hospital Detention Bill signals to patients? It means they can seek treatment at the most expensive hospitals, get the top notch doctors, avail of high quality medicines, and still be able to walk out of the hospital without paying a single centavo by claiming he has no money and issuing a promissory note even if he uses a brand new phone to call his store in Greenhills. Who do you think is the victim in this case? What the hospitals and doctors are fighting for in this case is not the right to detain patients but the right to be protected from crooked patients and be compensated for the 90% of promissory notes who never paid. SO PLEASE IF YOU ARE NOT INFORMED OF THE ISSUES AROUND IT, IT IS BEST TO INQUIRE FIRST BEFORE BLASTING DOCTORS FOR DEMANDING SUCH THINGS FROM OUR LEGISLATORS.
To everybody: doctors are not against the cheaper medicines/generic drugs. What they are against is their freedom to indicate the best drug in their opinion. Buying generic drugs is like buying cheap auto spare parts from Banawe. Sometimes it works out fine, sometimes it wears out easily, sometimes it is not compatible with your car, and if you're unlucky enough, your cheap brakes may be the cause your death. Doctors took an oath to treat patients to the best of their abilities, and it is their duty to indicate the best treatment for each patient. There is already a law requiring doctors to indicate generic names of drugs, so patients can still buy the cheapest medicines available. But to ban doctors from indicating their preference is to prevent the best treatment possible. The patient always has the freedom to choose the cheaper drugs, but it is not fair to force doctors to prescribe drugs they know may cause more harm than good.
ganda ng arguments dito. hehehhe.
anyhoo, reymatt. i apologize for generalizing. but if you are insulted, dapat lang mainsulto ka.
kase we the public is not the ones earning from these parmaceuticals company. these are the unscrupolous doctors, obviously not you kase affected kaw sa remark. like cyanide just said, it is an open secret. we are not lambasting doctors personally here. anytime, we will need them to save our own skin.
so kumbaga, so as the public would not view doctors like they view the lawyers, you guys should clean up your own ranks.
i commend you guys for saving lives and your argument regarding how to save these lives, pero hopefully doctors would think like doctors and NOT as hospital administrators. your solemn duty is to save lives.
kung as you have said generics are not good enough as branded, then it is contrary to the argument. fallacy runs with how the generics law is implemented, and it's the government's duty to make sure generics are of the same quality for the good of the public, who majority cannot afford branded drugs.
the essence of the anti hospital detention argument is based on the same principle. if there are some who would abuse the system and not pay for it even though they can afford it, then we should put up a provision within the law to avoid it.
To buraot: kahit meron unscrupolous doctors, maliit lang ang napupunta sa kanila compared to the whole industry. Sabi daw sa balita around 2% lang (I think) goes to doctors incentives (Marami sila pinamimigay na stuff na di naman napapakinabangan ng mga doctor). As much as 40% goes to marketing costs. Not surprising kasi kahit mga baguhang medical representatives meron na sariling kotse. And has anybody checked how much ang patong ng mercury drug, etc. sa bawat gamot?
Clean up our ranks? I'm sure the public doesn't realize that there are some backstabbing doctors. Friendly pag kaharap mo, sinisiraan ka pag nakatalikod ka. It's difficult to weed out the good from the bad, para kang namili sa nagaaway na magkaptid. Pero I still wish with all my heart ma-karma sila...
It is inevitable that doctors would end up taking up administrative/managerial tasks. It is part of the job of working in a system of the hospital. You have bosses to respect while at the same time direct staff nurses, lab technicians, etc. If the doctor doesn't develop that 'boss' attitude, patients will have less respect and not follow the doctors advice.
Generic drugs are as effective as branded drugs when tested in a laboratory. But when it comes to actually using it on a human being, that's where the difference comes in. A doctor can never know for sure which drug would work for each patient, so he can onl rely on his experience which drug is the most successful. Ang nakikita lang ng govt officials yung lab result. Doctor nga ang isa sa author ng bill, pero di naman sya nagpraktis at dumeretso sa politika pagkatapos mag graduate.
AMEN on your paragraph regarding the hospital detention bill. The medical profession is not totally against the bill, it's just that the legislators are so arrogant enough to punish hospitals and doctors but are so ignorant that they left out provisions to protect them against abusing patients. Puro papogi mga congressman sa masa na di man lang binigyan considerasyon na malaki ang malulugi sa mga hospitals pag di sila nabigyan ng proteksyon. Para na rin naghotel ka for a month and then you are free to check out without paying your bill.
You know why nauubos ang mga doctors sa Pinas? Tagal tagal ng pagaaral para maging doctor, matagal bago gumanda ang practice, pwede ka pang takasan ng pasyenteng di nagbabayad, tapos pwede pang mahabla pag nagka problema sa gamot na di sya ang pumili. Dami stress ng doctor dito, mas mayaman pa mga nurse sa ibang bansa.
reymatt: true. kaya nga yung iba, nagnu-nurse na lang kahit pa doktor sila talaga. tsk tsk.
i saw one report sa tfc na i think doctors had a point in that particular provision. yep, matatali ang kamay nila.
one thing is certain. palpak ang gobyerno sa pagre-regulate or kumbaga making sure those generics drugs are of good quality as branded drugs.
so given the kapalpakan, it would also unwise to limit the doctors choice. kung okey sana ang quality ng generics, i would still think okey lang i-restrict ang doctors not to put the brand names. kaso nga hindi. so i am with you now.
regarding that detention bill, i remember watching ANC a few months back. na kapag lumalabas ng ospital ang pasyente using promissory notes, those notes to go a certain clearinghouse designated by congress para i-collect as cash or some form of credit? totoo ba yun? di ko matandaan kung sino resource speaker pero lam ko congressman din sya.
Wala akong kilala doctor na humingin nang kahit ano sa drug company kapalit sa pagreseta ng gamot nila. Sometimes, drug companies invite doctors to out-of-town conferences. Malimit na di uma-attend ang doctor unless sponsored ng drug company ung trip. Masama ba ito? Consider that doctors earn a day-to-day living in their clinics. If they go to another place to attend a conference, form of compensation yung free trip kasi malaking halaga din ang mawawala sa doctor sa ilang linggo na di makapagtrabaho sa clinic nila. Kung walang free trip na binigay yung drug company, di na nga nakapagtrabaho yung doctor, gagastos pa siya sa plane ticket, hotel, food, pasalubong, etc. The same goes for doctors who gives out speeches, research papers,etc. Drug companies usually don't give out something to doctors unless there's a certain amount of sacrifice involved on the doctors' part. Unscrupulous? You be the judge.
BTW, even if the cheaper medicines bill gets passed, many of the most expensive drugs won't be affected. Because many of the high priced drugs do not have cheap generic versions in the market. Bababa lang price yung gamot sa sipon, ubo, lagnat, pain relievers at mga common antibiotics.
Nagtataka ako na marami nagsasabi mahal ang gamot pero galante gumastos sa ibang bagay. Bakit sobra successful ang dietary supplements dito sa Pinas like heartvit, circulan, etc., kahit di ito proven na nakakagaling? Bakit sikat ang iridology kahit 50% accurate lang ito in diagnosing diseases (based on a scientific study done sa U.S.)? Bakit marami pa rin naloloko ang mga manhihilot? Karamihan kasi sa Pinoy di priority ang magpagamot ng tama. Mas gugustuhin ang mumurahing gamot para makabili ng bagong cellphone kesa gumastos sa nararapat na gamot. Kanya kanyang priority lang. Sabagay, mga doctor matitigas din ang ulo pag meron din silang sakit.
I don't know anything about the clearing house. Kung totoo yun, you think mako collect talaga yun ng govt? Sarili nilang tax collection kulang nga eh, yun pang collectibles ng mga hospital/doctors? Marami pa nga utang ang PhilHealth sa akin last year na di pa nababayaran nila. I heard meron alloted govt. budget for reimbursing hospitals for some unpayed promissory notes, pero maliit lang yun. Baka kulang yun sa St. Luke's pa lang
Thanks sa mga input guys, ngayon nagtuturuan ang mga kongresista kung sino nagpasok ng panukala patungkol sa generic sa cheaper medicine bill, at maaaring barilin ito ng senado ang parte na ito, ang sa akin lang ang akala ko ang bill na ito ay maglalayon sa pababain ang presyo ng mga mahal na gamot na maging abot kaya dahil ito ang sinabi ng kongreso noong didyembre pero tila lumalayo na sila sa unang layunin ng bill na ito
Good evening,
I linked to your post on the Cheaper Medicine Bill. Thank you.
Indeed, the concern of fellow doctors regarding the therapeutic effectivity of generic drugs is very valid. This can be addressed by strengthening BFAD and promoting the integrity of pharmaceutical companies so that instead of engaging in brand-wars, the battle will be with respect to which company complies with GMP standards (current good manufacturing practice) or surpasses it. What the bill forbids is brand name prescribing. It does not prohibit doctors from listing trusted manufacturers in the prescription pad alongside the generic name.
Finally, I hope we should stop dividing the issue regarding generic-only prescribing. Let's cross the line and reach out to find a solution that is acceptable to all concerned. Even if we succeed in getting this provision abandoned, the nagging question still remains: will affordable and quality medicines be finally accessible to the poor majority?
After all, don't you think that more people die because they can't afford the prescribed medicine rather than because the medicine they took was generic?
tutol dito ang mga doctors kasi the profit na makukuha nila from prescribing a branded drug product gives them a chance to be candidates to be sponsored by many different manufacturing companies. it's not true na the profits go to pharmacists themselves. pharmacists dispense both generic and branded drug products kaya malamang konti lang or no effect at all pag ipinasa na ang cheaper medicine bill..^^
For the information of reymatt(the doctor), pharmacists naturally should have more knowledge with regards to drug products than physicians do. in the philippines, people think that doctors are far more knowledgeable than pharmacists when it comes to medicines. For everyones info, in other countries its a different scenario, doctors specially with specialization come and ask pharmacists drugs to be prescribed to patients, related with their respective bioequivalents, pharmaceutically and therapeutically. so my point, for the doctors out there, dont tell that the profits go to pharmacists because it's you who prescribe and they only dispense drugs.
Anonymous:
1. Where did I say that pharmacists get the profits? Please review my post. What is implied/evident is that the owner of the drug store will be sure to make a profit
2. I'm sure the pharmacists as a whole know more about drugs than doctors. But are they familiar on what effects it has on patients? Face it, the vast majority of them only know the theoretical side of it. There's a whole side of medicine that is not covered by books. The best doctors are not necessarily the ones who memorized the most books. It's how they have applied it and added to it with the experiences of their patients. Do pharmacists know which antihypertensive drug of a certain generic class can cause more cough & headaches? What anti-glaucoma eye drop can worsen a patient's vision? Some side-effects are not reported in the drug formulary.
3. Not all drug stores are fully staffed by pharmacists. Some big stores have 1 pharmacist while the rest are sales personnel/assistants. Can you assure me that a single pharmacist can respond to the inquiries of half a dozen customers simultaneously?
4. Check my first post regarding the substitution of Mefenamic acid for celecoxib. That is a first hand witness account of one generic drug being changed to a different generic drug altogether! How do you explain that Anonymous? I don't know which is worse: an irresponsible pharmacist for dispensing a very different generic drug or an ignorant sales lady for making a substitution she is clearly not qualified to do?
5. Heard about the recent report about a herbal medicine containing Sildefanil? It's just like a herbal drug with a touch of Viagra. At least Viagra carries a warning that it can cause heart attacks; I don't think that herbal drug will give the same precaution considering it didn't even indicate that it had Sildefanil as an ingredient . That incident reveals the poor state of how the govt. can monitor all drugs being imported into the country.
5. Another first hand account: I prescribed a generic drug with a specified brand that would be cheaper because it had a 25% discount promo card. Patient came back with another brand that was more expensive. Patient told me the brand I specified is out of stock at the nearby store. Inquiries with the medical representative and by personally asking the store itself (me not showing the discount card) revealed that not only did they have the brand I wanted, they kept it a secret from customers who wanted to avail of the 25% discount. How do you explain that Anonymous?
6. Doctors are not the only ones being courted by drug companies. The lobbying going around at the level of drug store officials can give drug companies a much, much higher profit. Influencing a doctor can yield an increase in sales of a hundred. Having a drug store chain in the pocket will translate to thousands. Kapisch?
7. First hand account #3: I prescribed Adenosine Triphosphate drops. Not one drug store in my city even knew what that drug is. You still think pharmacists know more about drugs than doctors? I wouldn't generalize if I were you.
8. New drugs are constantly being introduced into the market all the time. You think pharmacists are up to date with these new drugs? I'm a doctor and yet I don't know most of these new drugs. That's why doctors have their own specializations. There's to many diseases and drugs that it is impossible to know them all. I've never heard of a pharmacist specializing in cardiology or pediatrics.
I apologize in advance if I've insulted some pharmacists. I've personally witnessed questionable acts by some pharmacists/sales people that could be hazardous to the health of some patients. This is not a generalization, just a warning to all that the Philippines is far from ideal in when it comes to doctors, pharmacist, drug stores, pharmaceutical companies and even the Philippine govt. itself. In a perfect world, doctors should only prescribed generic drugs with confidence. But everyone knows nothing is perfect, and lives are at stake whenever a person gets sick. And guess who is at the front line treating the patient? Is it the pharmacist? The drug store? The pharmaceutical companies? The government? No. It's the doctor. And whatever he/she does (ethical or otherwise) will be reflected on his/her reputation.
Anonymous: ever heard of certain U.S. FDA-approved drugs being recalled because of a few but potentially lethal side effects? Who reported those side effects, doctors or pharmacists? Just because a drug gets approved by the govt. doesn't mean that all the potential effects have been studied/reported by pharmaceutical companies. And it's the doctors of those unfortunate patients who are usually the first to see that reality. What's my point? pharmacists learn about drugs by reading about them. Doctors learn about drugs through the experiences of their patients. Which do you think is more relevant in real life?
Thanks for the info guys, the doctors pulled their boycott, and the senate is planning to take out the generic provision yet i saw campaign last Saturday where the dept of health is campaigning on generic drugs which is costly for the less fortunate patients
to evryone:
to be honest, i don't have a wide idea 'bout the generics background or the better effects of the branded ones..but what i'm just concern is that instead arguing one another why not focus the time in searching for the best solutions for the betterment of evryone..instead of choosing to whom you will believe spend the time wisely by helping one another right?
to reymatt:
i just agree with you and some of the others opinion..we're in the world of no one is perfect..many of us get wrong..so we can never really blame one another..there are doctors who are honest and loves their patients so giving them all their best to cure and unfortunately there are also doctors who are backstabbing or unscrupulous..hayz..
and for the patience some are honest and some are fool..
if only there's a respect from one another this issue might not rise..in the scenarios of the filipinos acts or attitudes we can never see that everyone is good or everyone is bad..
hope that this issue will end with a good solution and will end with good relationship between the public,doctors,govenment and to the rest who are concerned and affected by this issue..
right dr. reymatt?
i just don't like to argue but to open everyones eyes to reality and that the best thing to do is to find solution by the help and collaboration of everyone..
to reymatt:
indirectly you have just help me in gathering some information about your side as one tof the doctors..i could have defend my point of view..
i can now confidently share my point of view because you just strengthen it..
hope all of us can search for the best solution on this foregoing issue..i know that the answers are still in our hands..aren't we?
vulnerable.. let me tell you a short story..
back in college i have a barkada that so close we're like brothers. we have one who is a frat member, i am not. we argue everytime about the good and bad of fraternities. obviously, he's for it, i am against it.
one day we argue again. and we argue so passionately. the other friend tells us "pare wag kayo ganyan, magto-tropa tayo.."
you know what me and the fratguy frined of mine did? binatukan namin sya sabay tawa.
my point is.. arguments, contradictions and debates is the best way to know more about an issue. it's as simple as a scince experiment. you mix the theses with the anti-theses for you to find the synthesis.
we argue not because we just want to. because we wanted to inform and in turn we will be informed.
we all just have to have an open mind and not afraid of criticisms, because it is part of it. at least for me, that's my view of it.
so don't be afraid of arguments my dear. it is for the best. i meant no offense to you.
grabe.. ang hahaba ng comments dito tol. lols!
ang gagaling nio naman po mag-debate.. dame qng nkuhang information and ideas s mga pinag-uusapan nio... tanong ko lang po sna qng bkit "generic-only" ang gnawang title ng news n ito??
hi aremith ang problem kasi dito ay may provision ang cheaper medicine bill na nagrerequire sa mga doctors na instead of brang ng gamot ang ireseta nila generic na lang ang ilalagay e.g instead of diatabs and isusulat ng doctor sa reseta at loperamide
ito buraot:
i got your point buraot..but there are instances that situation might get worst..but for your side and with everyone with the same character possess who are in this blog i guess it's still better if i'll side to your point..pero sana we have to consider that everyone is not of the same flock..
well n this case hope we can gather not only information but answers to ours own questions and for the issue we we're pointing out here..
just in case, nagconduct na ba ng survey ang mga responsible persons in connection with this issue?i mean appointed persons for this must also let the public know the percentage for those side for the PMA and for those with the new provision.right?wala lang..just curious and it's a big help to decide..we can might formulate theh best answer..
Cash cow, commissions/allowances, etc. I'm just curious, does anybody here directly witnessed a doctor profitting from kickbacks from drug companies. Ballpens, liquid soaps and some office equipment are common giveaways (though most of them are redundant and useless to me). Some doctors who are too busy to go out receive packed meals. A select few going out-of-town to attend conferences get sponsored trips. But can someone here pinpoint a doctor actually receiving money? The only doctors I know getting paid with cash are those who give speaches and do research work. Of course they have to be paid for their time and effort. Or all this talk against some doctors based on rumors?
the claims of these doctors headed by the philippine medical association echo the falsely based and interest-protected qualms of big pharmaceutical companies. they are indeed unfounded and non-sequitir.
why do doctors have to stage a boycott? they say they are for their patients, then why are they trying to block one provision that had been championed by the world health organization itself? the generic only prescription that was intended by the creation of then generics act of 1988 is being in fact on support for the rational drug use. i supposed all of the brilliant members of the PMA have been thought about this in school.
by the way, did your pre-med or your med proper ever told you to prescribe brand names? or shall i say did you ever try to memorize brand names at school?
think about it.
or let me just rest on the thought that these physicians who are trying to boycott just like what they did to the hospital detention law, are militia of the big pharmaceutical companies....
just one more...
the senate members of the bicameral committee lead by pia cayetano heeded to the doctor's call. but why don;t they listen to the other side?
is it just because they are doctors? and the opposite side are just consumers and the patients themselves?....just thinking out loud. i wished that all members or stakeholders will be allowed to sit with the panel of the bicameral committee during the bicam forum just what they did with the migrant workers law before if i am not mistaken. this is to say that all the law is indeed the voice of the people.
Thanks for the feedback im glad that you guys give your opinions about the said issues on Cheaper Medicine Bill
Lagunnawa: what doctors' claims are you pertaining to? FYI, the Senate didn't heed the doctors' call. They already had their own version of the bill before all this brouhaha after the House came out with their version. I think consultations have already been done when the generics only provision suddenly was inserted at the final version. Sounds suspicious to me inserting something into a bill if it wasn't tackled during deliberations.
Hey, let's try to educate everybody here. I'll give P 1 million to anybody here who could recite all the generic drugs available in the Philippines. P 2 million if they could give all the brand names associated with a specific generic. General terms like multivitamins are not allowed; be specific such as Vitamin B1, Vit B6, niacin, lutein, etc. all in one capsule. Include the dosage for tablets, capsules, syrup, etc. Is such a thing humanly possible?
Something to think about: If drug companies are forced to drop their prices without any support from the govt., it could lead to the fall of the Phil. pharmaceutical industry. The ones who stand to make a huge profit in the long run are the importers of medicines. People will lose jobs and the nation will lose dollars to drug producers like India. Not to mention the risk of getting counterfeit medicines. There is no effort in the country to develop the proper infrastructure to aid drug companies that could lessen the production costs of locally made drugs.
it is best for the population to have access to cheaper drugs but we should also be warned that there is such a thing called DRUG RESISTANCE where in a drug would no longer take effect if the drug is frequently or improperly taken. filipinos for sure, would self- prescribe cheaper drugs, leading to drug resistance. this resistance leads to deadlier infections. maybe they should file a parallel bill or if there is any, strictly implement the filling of prescriptions. meaning, drugs which are prone to drug resistance should not be sold over the counter.
is it just a coincidence that india has the cheapest antibiotics and the most resistant amoeba strains than any other countries in the world?!
let our congressmen decide!
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