Warning aired on ineffective
health products
FORMER Health Secretary Alberto G. Romualdez yesterday said Filipinos could be spending millions for health products that hardly provide any therapeutic effect.
In a press conference at the sidelines of the 3rd Medicines Transparency Alliance (MeTA) Council forum, Romualdez said data from the National Health Account (NHA) showed Filipinos spend P150 billion a year on health products, and half of the amount is for health products without proven effectiveness.
The NHA is an annual collection of information by national census and statistics groups that measures the expenditures on health every year.
MeTA Philippines is a group that brings together international and local stakeholders to look for ways to improve information flow and increase transparency and accountability about the selection, regulation, procurement, sale, distribution and use of medicines in developing country.
A number of medicinal supplements are being advertised as prevention for a number of illnesses and labeled to have "no approved therapeutic claims."
Romualdez, MeTA chair who also writes a weekly column on public health issues in Malaya Business Insight, said: "More than half goes to products whose benefits you can get from other ways which are not so expensive. For example, the vitamin preparations… by and large, people who have access to good food do not need any vitamin supplement at all."
Still, he said, Filipinos continue to rely on supplemental vitamins "because people are convinced that it protects them against all kinds of problems, cough, cold, cancer and others."
Romualdez said pharmaceutical firms should be truthful in their advertisements as majority of the Filipinos find it so hard to raise money for their health needs.
"It’s not just the amount of money but the way they are advertised," he said.
The Food and Drug Administration acknowledged there is a flaw in the way health products are advertised.
"We have now a task force that looks into promo materials before these are aired on television or in the newspapers," said FDA director Nazarita Tacandong.
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