BY REGINA BENGCO
PRESIDENT Arroyo wants the "generics only"
provision withdrawn in the proposed Cheaper Medicines Bill so it
can be approved before the 14th Congress adjourns in June.
Arroyo announced her order to Health
Secretary Francisco Duque III during the inauguration of the
11,000th Botika ng Barangay under the President's Half-Priced
Medicines Program and the Department of Agriculture's Barangay
Bagsakan at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig.
She said it was the DOH which proposed the
"generics only" provision last year, which is now causing the
delay of the bill's passage, because it was the "ideal" bill.
The "generics only" provision requires
doctors to write only the generic names of medicines in their
prescriptions, instead of the current practice of writing both
the generic and brand names.
The President said she reiterated her order
to Duque because she does not want Malacañang to look like the
villain and the lawmakers to look like heroes.
"We don't want a masterpiece that will never
be played. We want something that may be less than perfect but
can be carried out," the President said.
Duque said the DOH has already written
letters to Congress last February withdrawing the "generics
only" provision.
He said the DOH submitted the "generics only" provision
because it was rushed into submitting its position to Congress
since the bill was a priority.
