Probe Collusion between Hospitals and Pharma Firms

Health secretary Francisco Duque is really doing a great job. His fight against big pharmas has successfully lowered some of the most expensive drugs in the country. And he's not backing down, not even this shameless threat from the Philippine Hospital Association of the Philippines (PHAP) that they will increase their service fees due to the implementation of the Cheaper Medicines Law.

I urge Secretary Duque not to lose courage. In fact, the entire government should support Duque in his fight against these big hospitals which are colluding with the big pharma companies to prevent government from implementing the Cheaper Medicines Law.

Mr. Duque, you are doing a great job. Ask these complaining hospitals to open their books. These hospitals should prove that they are really losing money because of the implementation of this law.

I got word that this so-called PHAP call is a big public relations effort initiated by the Pharmaceutical & Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP), the same organization chaired by Reinier Gloor who was involved in the shameless meeting of pharma companies with Mrs. Arroyo prior to the signing of the Cheaper Medicines Law.

Gloor is a former company executive.

By the way, what happened to the call of Senator Mar Roxas to investigate these pharma companies? Tsk,tsk,tsk!

Mar Roxas should learn a thing or two from Secretary Francisco Duque.