President Rodrigo Duterte signed on Tuesday an executive order regulating the price of drugs and medicines in the country.

This was announced by Acting Presidential Spokesperson and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles on Wednesday.

Nograles said the Executive Order No. 155 covered the drugs and medicines used to address the leading causes of morbidity in the country.

"This is part of efforts to improve access to affordable, quality medicines and reduce the health-related expenses of our countrymen, consistent with the goals of the Universal Health Care Act," he said.

Nograles said the EO states that "price regulation via Maximum Retail Price (MRP) and/or Maximum Wholesale Price (MW) will be imposed on 34 drug molecules and 71 drug formulas used in agents affecting bone metabolism, analgesics, anesthetics, anti-angina, antiarrhythmics, anti-asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease medicines, antibiotics, anticoagulants, anticonvulsants, antidiabetic drugs, antidiuretics, and antiemetics."

"Also covered by the EO are drug molecules and formulas utilized in anti-glaucoma, anti-hypercholesterolemia medicines, anti hypertensive medicines, anti-neoplastic or anti-cancer medicines, anti parkinsons drugs, drugs for overactive bladders, growth hormone inhibitors, immunosuppressant drugs, iron chelating agents, and psoriasis, seborrhea and ichthyosis medicines," he said.

Nograles said the Section 2 of the EO requires all manufacturers, importers, distributors, wholesalers, traders, and retailers to “display the retail price which shall not exceed the MRP.”

He said the EO specifies that “the MRP, preceded by the words ‘retail price not to exceed,’ and ‘under drug price regulation ,’ on a red strip, shall be clearly printed on the label of the immediate container of the drug and medicine and the minimum pack thereof offered for retail.”

"The list of medicines and their corresponding MRPs and MWPs shall be subject to the review of the Department of Health (DOH), in consultation with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) six months from the effectivity of the EO, and every six months thereafter," he said.

Nograles also mentioned that Section 7 of the EO, states that "violations of the EO shall be dealt with in accordance with RA No. 9502––the Universally Accessible Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act of 2008––and other related laws."

It also state that “pursuant to Section 19 of RA No. 9502, the Secretary of Health is directed to investigate alleged violations of the MRP and/or MWP under this Order, impose administrative fines and penalties, and call upon and deputize government entities for assistance necessary to carry out the purpose of this Order.”

"Under Section 19 (D) of RA No. 9502 the DOH Secretary has the power to impose administrative fines of not less than 50,000 pesos nor more than 5,000,000 pesos," he said. Robina Asido/DMS