Negros Occidental doctors joined a caravan of more than 100 vehicles around Bacolod City yesterday morning to protest a move by Congress to ban the prescription of branded medicines to their patients along with their generic equivalents, Dr. Antonio Gauzon said.

Their vehicles bore posters saying yes to cheaper medicines but no to an amendment of the Generics Law

Gauzon, a governor of the Philippine Medical Association, said the doctors were protesting the amendment to the Generics Act prohibiting doctors from suggesting the brand names they believe are effective to their patients.

They fear that writing only the generic name of medicines will endanger their patients as some pharmacies are manned by salesgirls who lack knowledge and training, not by pharmacists, he reiterated.

“We have successfully convinced DOH and other legislators to support our cause to delete the generic-only provision. Let's remain vigilant and be united in the PMA,” a text message sent by PMA president Jojo Sabili and Vice President Rey Melchor Santos said yesterday.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr., in a press statement yesterday, said the doctors should be allowed to prescribe branded medicines to patients but should also be required to write their generic equivalents in the prescription form.

Pimentel expressed support for a move to delete a provision in the House version of the Cheap Medicines Bill which makes it mandatory for doctors to prescribe only generic drugs.

“Doctors know by experience which drugs are potent and effective for curing specific diseases. So in my view, they should not be forced to prescribe only generic drugs,” he said.

“Doctors should be free to prescribe branded medicines but they should also write their counterparts in generic form. What is important is the people are given the freedom of choice insofar as the right medicines are concerned,” he said

Pimentel pointed out that the Generics Act of 1988 of which he is the principal author, encourages the prescription of both generic and branded medicines.

He expressed the hope that this suggested compromise will be adopted by the bicameral conference committee to avoid any deadlock over the Cheaper Medicines Bill which may unnecessarily delay its approval.*CPG

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