How do multi-national drug companies control the Philippine pharmaceutical market?
They manufacture their medicines, most if not all, in the Philippines under a patent that while existing, no “Filipino pharmaceutical firm can import or produce cheaper alternatives” to the patented medicines. (INQUIRER.net, May 8) Only small drug stores of the “botica sa barrio” class affiliated with the Department of Health sell generic medicines that the government imports or subsidizes. These are across the counter medicines for common colds, cough, asthma, etc. There are some generic anti-biotics. In the last Congress, both the Senate and the House had bills proposing to lower the cost of medicines. The Senate was able to pass its own version but the House failed to during the last days of the regular session due to the lack of quorum. The House bill must have been snagged by the strong lobby of the pharmaceutical companies. During the second reading of the bill, the lobbyists failed to stop the approval of the bill; they approached the wrong congressman to have the session adjour
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