The Health Enthusiast: Current Health News

Showing posts with label Current Health News. Show all posts

Republic of the Philippines on the Prices of Medicines

The Department of Health (DOH) has formally received the consolidated undertaking of various pharmaceutical companies to bring down prices of a list of medicines in the Republic of the Philippines. However, the mark down in the prices only includes those that address major public health concerns such as hypertension, diabetes, common infections, and cancer, among others.

Based on the recent report .The list was transmitted by the Executive Director Reiner Gloor of the Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP) where it contained a summary of the medicines being offered and their respective price reductions. It carried the proposals of both PHAP member companies and some non-PHAP members.

The DOH with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) are urgently

reviewing the said list, validating the prices, identifying any possible

inconsistencies, and assessing the practicability of the said undertaking. After the said review and consultation, the DOH and DTI shall jointly make their recommendations to the President whether to accept or reject said submission.

“We take note of the timely submission of the pharmaceutical companies and their commitment to lower medicines prices of their common products by at least 50%,” said Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III.

“It is good that they met the deadline of the President and that they did not ask for extensions or engaged in any dilatory tactics,” Duque elaborated.

“We are making sure that the 21 molecules are reflected in their proposal and that the price reductions are consistent with the 50% price reduction policy that has been adopted,” stressed Trade Secretary Peter Favila.

In addition to the 21 molecules, the consolidated summary in the letter of undertaking also contained a list of other products offered for voluntary price reductions.

On the left is an image of the President with the Botika ng Bayan at the background showing hopes of cheaper medicines in the Philippines.

Current Health News | |

Marikina City to distribute Health Passports

According to Daily Inquirer, Vital health data like personal vaccinations and medicine records are now readily available for markinita City residents in handy booklets for easy monitoring of one's health.

From the report,the city government is providing residents with "health passport" that would contain pertinent medical information and even link it with the city health office electronic patient information system.

According to Dr. Honnielyn Fernando, acting assistant city health officer these health booklets -called MCF Health Passports will contain records of vaccinations medicines taken as well as treatments by patients. The constituents will now be able to monitor the health status of their family members.

She said the health passport is useful particularly in the event of medical emergencies so patients can readily provide their medical history to attending doctors. Fernando said the health passports were initially distributed to families within the Industrical Valley Complex. Last year, health passports were also given to families in Barangay Fortune.If proven effective, the project will also start distributing the passports in to the other barangays in Marikina City.

From my opinion, other parts of the country should also start adapting the project to help their constituents maintain and monitor their personal health records.

With this, I give my salute to the City of Marikina for starting this initiative. I hope that the other cities as well will follow for the good and benefit of their constituents.

Current Health News | |

News on Swine Flu Vaccine

Based on the recent developments reagrding swine flue, the world's first human trials of a swine flu vaccine have begun in Australia.

Based on the report , two biotechnology companies have started tests on volunteers in the southern city of Adelaide with their vaccines. Adelaide-based Vaxine began trials Monday with 300 subjects, and Melbourne's CSL has 240 people in its seven-month trial,The companies say their trials are the first tests of a swine flu vaccine on humans.

At least 41 people have died in swine flu-related illness in Australia, and at some part of the globe. According to World Health Organization , the worldwide death toll from swine flu is moer than 700.

As the world ramp up the hunt to discover the vaccine for this type of flu, different countries are now starting to do their own tests.As an example , US officials announced they were searching for volunteers to run their own trials of two swine flu vaccines and a Chinese drug company said it would soon test its own preparation to fight the A(H1N1) virus, which has killed more than 700 people worldwide

In China, state news agency Xinhua said Hualan Biological Engineering Inc had completed a swine flu vaccine last month and would test it on more than 2,000 volunteers in the city of Taizhou in the eastern province of Jiangsu.

These tests are done in well developed countries. In the Philippines a 49-year-old woman with swine influenza A-H1N1 has died - the first death in that country related to the virus. However, there are no reported news as of today if there will be tests to be conducted here in the country.