Tulfo questions selling of branded, expensive medicines in public hospitals

April 2, 2024 , 05:33 PM

By News5 Digital

(April 2, 2024) – Sen. Raffy Tulfo raised concerns over the selling of branded and expensive medicines in public hospitals, during a Senate Committee on Health and Demography hearing on Tuesday.

The Senator pointed out that given the economic status of most patients visiting public hospitals, generic medicines must be given, especially to the underprivileged.

“Dapat sa mga public hospitals, ‘wag na po tayong magbenta ng mga branded, ‘yung generic na lang,” said Tulfo.

“There are cases noong nagpa-practice po ako, may cases na generic ang binili ng hospital pero hindi siya clinically effective, [and] that’s the reason why some hospitals will carry probably the branded because the efficacy is clinically different,” said Health Sec. Ted Herbosa.

“Sometimes it’s cheaper, but the quality is not that good. Tama naman, generic and branded should be the same, however, may manufacturing — ‘yung iba nandadaya, so ‘yung efficacy kitang-kitang nung doctor,” he further explained.

According to the Health Secretary, hospitals undergo a public bidding process in selecting medicines, with a preference for generics. He also shared that branded drugs are sometimes necessary due to their higher efficacy rates and certain patients may not respond well to cheaper alternatives.

Sen. Tulfo, however, seemed not convinced, describing Sec. Herbosa’s claims as “half-truth,” and later on exposed the influence of “pharmaceutical junkets” on the prescription practices of doctors in public hospitals.

“I’ll tell you why, bakit pine-prefer ‘yung branded sa mga hospital, mga pharmacy, bakit inirereseta, kasi nga po may tinatawag na junket,” said Tulfo.

The Senator also revealed, “may mga doktor po na nagsusumbong sa akin, ito ‘yung mga mababait na doktor na hindi sila pumapayag, hindi sila tumatanggap. Even while we speak, may mga nakaschedule na mga junket… ‘Yan ang dahilan kung bakit matataas ang presyo ng mga gamot dito. Siyempre ‘yung mga pharmaceutical company kailangan nilang kumita rin, tataasan nila ‘yung presyo ng mga gamot nila.”

Tulfo called for an investigation over reports of doctors participating in junkets sponsored by major pharmaceutical companies.

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