The Law and its IRR intend to make medicines more accessible & affordable to Filipinos by enforcing provisions that improve market competition, availability, contain costs, improve healthcare provider and consumers behaviour, and when instances so require, even regulate prices.
a. Interventions to Improve Competition:
i. Parallel Importation of patented Medicines
ii. Required Production of Generic Drugs
iii. Promotion of quality generic drugs
iv. Enforcement of the Early working Provision for patented medicines.
b. Interventions to Improve Availability:
i. Compulsory Licensing for patented Medicines
ii. Special Compulsory Licensing for patented Medicines
iii. Government Use of Patented Medicines
iv. Mandatory Carry for patented parallel imports
v. Non-traditional outlets like Convenience Stores and supermarkets allowed to sell Over-the-Counter drugs
c. Cost containment Measures:
i. PhilHealth Reimbursements
ii. Government Pooled Procurement
iii. Consignment
d. Interventions to improve Professional behavior to serve the needs of the poor and vulnerable:
i. Generics only prescribing in government facilities and by government health workers
ii. Required use of generic terminology in all transactions including precribing for health workers and reimbursing for PHIC
e. Interventions to regulate prices
i. Imposition of Maximum Retail Prices
ii. Drug Price Monitoring by the Government