Hon Francisco T. Duque

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MeTA PhilippinesSharing Responsibility,
Achieving as One

• Hon Francisco T. Duque
• Secretary
• Department of Health

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THE MEDICINES ACCESS GAP
RP has low to medium regular access to quality
medicines.
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Challenges in the Philippines

• High cost of medicines
• Non transparent mechanisms of medicines pricing
• High out-of-pocket payments burdening the poor
  and the disadvantaged
• Preference to branded medicines

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Goal

• Improve access to essential medicines by
• Cutting the price of Medicines to 50 from base
  prices in 2001
• Reducing out-of-pocket payments
• Improving generic competition and assuring
  quality
• Instituting mechanisms for transparency and good
  governance

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Basic Strategy

• Multistakeholder Collaboration

Sharing Responsibility, Achieving as one
through
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Building MeTA in the Philippines
Scoping Visit April 2007
TWG Meetings to form MeTA Structure May to July, 2007
Invitation and enlisting of prospective members July to September, 2007
Election of Officers November, 2007
Induction of Officers December 2007
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Who are involved?
Policy Level Department of Health Senate House of Representatives
Regulators and Service Providers BFAD Philhealth COA PITC LGUs
Private Sector Involvement Professional Groups Academe NGOs CSO Watch Groups
International Development Partners WHO Worldbank EU, GTZ
Industry Few MNCs PCPI ( Philippine Chamber of Pharmaceuticals, Inc.)

• The MeTA Council
• 24-member Council
• Chaired by a former Health Secretary

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How do we work?
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Integrating MeTA Supportinto Local reforms

• Health Reforms Fourmula I for Health (F1)
• Service delivery
• Financing
• Regulations
• Good Governance

Improved access and support to decentralized
systems
Development of systems for proper
resource management and building sustainable
financing models
Assessment and Technical Support
Transparent Processes
MeTA
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THE HARD CLIMB TO AFFORDABLE MEDICINES FOR ALL

• CHEAPER MEDICINES BILL
• Parallel importation
• Compulsory Licensing
• Amendments to the IP Code
• Early Working (Bolar Provision)
• Generics competition

• GENERICS ACT of 1988
• failed to anchor generics
• in the local market

• PARALLEL DRUG IMPORTATION
• cheaper drugs from India brought
• in competition against expensive branded products
  
• (up to 70 reduction since 2001)

BFAD STRENGTHENING BILL - Beefing up capital and
human infrastructure of BFAD to meet
international standards in quality and safety
assurance

• COMMUNITY DRUG OUTLETS
• - gt12,000 Botika ng Barangay outlets spread out
  nationwide
• -
• gt1,400 Botika ng Bayan outlets in major cities

AFFORDABLE TREATMENT PACKS - Complete OPD
treatment packs for hypertension, high
cholesterol, diabetes and common infections at
P25/50/100
www.aafp.org
10www
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Thank You
13/07/2015