by Ching M. Alano
With today’s skyrocketing cost of medicine, everybody’s in mortal fear of getting sick. Remember the Generic Drug Act of 1988? It was crafted to give millions of marginalized Filipinos access to safe and affordable medicines. It allows the production of unbranded drugs using the same active ingredients and processes as those of branded drugs, thus bypassing the patent system.
It’s been decades since then, and the Generics Act has been heavily criticized for its dismal enforcement. Meanwhile, the prices of drugs in the Philippines continue to be the highest in Asia (as much as 180 percent higher vis-a-vis other Asian countries) even as 32.9 million out of the country’s total population of 88.6 million or 34 percent of Filipinos currently live in poverty, according to bleak data recently released by the National Statistics Office and the National Statistical Coordination Board.
While some empowered consumers ask for a paracetamol/acetaminophen instead of Tylenol or mefenamic acid instead of Ponstan over the counters of drugstores, generic drugs are still shrouded by clouds of misconceptions. Hear this:
• Myth: Generics are not as safe as brand-name drugs.
Fact: Because generics use the same active ingredients as their brand-name counterparts and work the same way in the body, generic drugs are as safe and effective as their brand-name equivalents.
• Myth: Generics don’t work as well as brand-name drugs.
Fact: To get approval, it is important that generic drugs must be bioequivalent to their branded counterparts. This means that they must contain the same active ingredients and strength as branded products.
• Myth: Generics take longer to act in the body.
Fact: In seeking approval for their products, generic manufacturers must submit evidence that their drugs deliver the same amount of active ingredients in the same time frame as branded ones and also have the same quality, strength, purity, and stability as brand-name products.
Fact is, in the US, doctors say they won’t think twice about prescribing generics over branded drugs whenever they feel that their patients would benefit more.
To digress a little, a beauty survey was made on which antiaging moisturizer was the most effective as far as minimizing wrinkles was concerned. Guess what? The least expensive product was found to be as effective as the high-end or most expensive product (blame it on advertising/marketing).
Amid the rising oil, rice, and commodity prices, it’s certainly welcome news that there’s now a chain of drugstores that offers generic medicine to “re-install the basic right of every Filipino to proper healthcare via affordable medication.”
Says Benjamin Liuson, The Generics Pharmacy president, “The generics law requires generics to have the same quality, strength, purity, and stability as their branded variants, but for a fraction of the latter’s price. This is why we are committed to promoting better health among Filipinos by making affordable quality medicines available to all.”
According to Liuson, his company has been engaged in the pharmaceutical industry since 1949 by importing/wholesaling pharmaceutical products but decided to pursue the retail trade in 2001 to reach more consumers who could not afford the medicines available on the market. Last year, The Generics Pharmacy became the first generics retail pharmacy to franchise in the Philippines, and its growth has been unstoppable since.
Today, The Generics Pharmacy boasts 85 stores, selling some 150 generic medicines or 85 percent of the common medication bought by Filipinos, including drugs for high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, colds, asthma, as well as antibiotics, vitamins, and food supplements.
Liuson stresses, “Just because a drug is priced significantly lower doesn’t mean that it has poor quality or is less effective. We have been selling generic drugs since 1989 and if they didn’t work, we would have been out of business a long time ago. The fact that more and more people are buying generic drugs only means that they work.”
And here’s more: Aside from its lower prices, The Generics Pharmacy also offers the mandatory 20-percent discount for senior citizens, free delivery within Metro Manila, and even free medical consultations at selected branches (its outlets are strategically located all over Manila and key cities nationwide). For inquiries, call 711-3933 or 396-5184; e-mail comments@thegenericspharmacy.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit www.thegenericspharmacy.com.
It seems that more companies are getting on the generics bandwagon. Just recently, Sanofi-Aventis, one of the largest research-based pharmaceutical companies in the world, launched its generics arm, Winthrop Pharmaceuticals Philippines, Inc.
Sanofi-Aventis president and general manager Carlito Realuyo points out, ”We are driven by a commitment to ensure access to medicine and contribute to the reduction of healthcare cost.”
A global generics company, Winthrop addresses major health needs in therapeutic areas such as metabolic, cardiology, and thrombosis. Winthrop is currently in 22 countries throughout Europe, Asia, South America, and Africa — and hopes to branch out to other parts of the world.
Building on the established reputation of Sanofi-Aventis, Winthrop Pharmaceuticals Philippines observes the highest standards of quality not only in terms of product efficacy and safety but also in terms of strict manufacturing quality control. This assures consumers that they’re getting the best pharmaceutical products at a significantly lower price.
Winthrop has initially introduced three lifesaving products: Winthrop glimepiride for type 2 diabetes; Winthrop clopidogrel, an anti-platelet drug which helps prevent a second stroke or heart attack; and Winthrop amlodipine, an anti-hypertension drug.
Winthrop’s diabetes drug and two heart drugs were launched at a recent event at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, with Senator Pia Cayetano, Senate Health Committee chairman, as keynote speaker.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III lauded Winthrop for its timely response to make essential medicines within reach of all Filipinos, for its sense of social responsibility.
Excuse me while I take my paracetamol for my splitting headache.
Source: Philippine Star
With today’s skyrocketing cost of medicine, everybody’s in mortal fear of getting sick. Remember the Generic Drug Act of 1988? It was crafted to give millions of marginalized Filipinos access to safe and affordable medicines. It allows the production of unbranded drugs using the same active ingredients and processes as those of branded drugs, thus bypassing the patent system.
It’s been decades since then, and the Generics Act has been heavily criticized for its dismal enforcement. Meanwhile, the prices of drugs in the Philippines continue to be the highest in Asia (as much as 180 percent higher vis-a-vis other Asian countries) even as 32.9 million out of the country’s total population of 88.6 million or 34 percent of Filipinos currently live in poverty, according to bleak data recently released by the National Statistics Office and the National Statistical Coordination Board.
While some empowered consumers ask for a paracetamol/acetaminophen instead of Tylenol or mefenamic acid instead of Ponstan over the counters of drugstores, generic drugs are still shrouded by clouds of misconceptions. Hear this:
• Myth: Generics are not as safe as brand-name drugs.
Fact: Because generics use the same active ingredients as their brand-name counterparts and work the same way in the body, generic drugs are as safe and effective as their brand-name equivalents.
• Myth: Generics don’t work as well as brand-name drugs.
Fact: To get approval, it is important that generic drugs must be bioequivalent to their branded counterparts. This means that they must contain the same active ingredients and strength as branded products.
• Myth: Generics take longer to act in the body.
Fact: In seeking approval for their products, generic manufacturers must submit evidence that their drugs deliver the same amount of active ingredients in the same time frame as branded ones and also have the same quality, strength, purity, and stability as brand-name products.
Fact is, in the US, doctors say they won’t think twice about prescribing generics over branded drugs whenever they feel that their patients would benefit more.
To digress a little, a beauty survey was made on which antiaging moisturizer was the most effective as far as minimizing wrinkles was concerned. Guess what? The least expensive product was found to be as effective as the high-end or most expensive product (blame it on advertising/marketing).
Amid the rising oil, rice, and commodity prices, it’s certainly welcome news that there’s now a chain of drugstores that offers generic medicine to “re-install the basic right of every Filipino to proper healthcare via affordable medication.”
Says Benjamin Liuson, The Generics Pharmacy president, “The generics law requires generics to have the same quality, strength, purity, and stability as their branded variants, but for a fraction of the latter’s price. This is why we are committed to promoting better health among Filipinos by making affordable quality medicines available to all.”
According to Liuson, his company has been engaged in the pharmaceutical industry since 1949 by importing/wholesaling pharmaceutical products but decided to pursue the retail trade in 2001 to reach more consumers who could not afford the medicines available on the market. Last year, The Generics Pharmacy became the first generics retail pharmacy to franchise in the Philippines, and its growth has been unstoppable since.
Today, The Generics Pharmacy boasts 85 stores, selling some 150 generic medicines or 85 percent of the common medication bought by Filipinos, including drugs for high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, colds, asthma, as well as antibiotics, vitamins, and food supplements.
Liuson stresses, “Just because a drug is priced significantly lower doesn’t mean that it has poor quality or is less effective. We have been selling generic drugs since 1989 and if they didn’t work, we would have been out of business a long time ago. The fact that more and more people are buying generic drugs only means that they work.”
And here’s more: Aside from its lower prices, The Generics Pharmacy also offers the mandatory 20-percent discount for senior citizens, free delivery within Metro Manila, and even free medical consultations at selected branches (its outlets are strategically located all over Manila and key cities nationwide). For inquiries, call 711-3933 or 396-5184; e-mail comments@thegenericspharmacy.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit www.thegenericspharmacy.com.
It seems that more companies are getting on the generics bandwagon. Just recently, Sanofi-Aventis, one of the largest research-based pharmaceutical companies in the world, launched its generics arm, Winthrop Pharmaceuticals Philippines, Inc.
Sanofi-Aventis president and general manager Carlito Realuyo points out, ”We are driven by a commitment to ensure access to medicine and contribute to the reduction of healthcare cost.”
A global generics company, Winthrop addresses major health needs in therapeutic areas such as metabolic, cardiology, and thrombosis. Winthrop is currently in 22 countries throughout Europe, Asia, South America, and Africa — and hopes to branch out to other parts of the world.
Building on the established reputation of Sanofi-Aventis, Winthrop Pharmaceuticals Philippines observes the highest standards of quality not only in terms of product efficacy and safety but also in terms of strict manufacturing quality control. This assures consumers that they’re getting the best pharmaceutical products at a significantly lower price.
Winthrop has initially introduced three lifesaving products: Winthrop glimepiride for type 2 diabetes; Winthrop clopidogrel, an anti-platelet drug which helps prevent a second stroke or heart attack; and Winthrop amlodipine, an anti-hypertension drug.
Winthrop’s diabetes drug and two heart drugs were launched at a recent event at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, with Senator Pia Cayetano, Senate Health Committee chairman, as keynote speaker.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III lauded Winthrop for its timely response to make essential medicines within reach of all Filipinos, for its sense of social responsibility.
Excuse me while I take my paracetamol for my splitting headache.
Source: Philippine Star
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