Cebu City (19 August) -- Hospital pharmacies and big drug retail stores in Cebu have slashed by half its regular prices the 21 identified essential drugs as mandated under Executive Order 821 signed by Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in accordance with the Cheaper Medicine Act.

Officials from the Dept. of Health last Saturday went around various private hospitals and big drug stores in Cebu City to ensure that the identified drugs have really been reduced by 50 percent.

August 15 was the start of the implementation of the compulsory price cuts of the identified drugs. EO 821 prescribes the maximum drug retail price (MDRP) for five selected drugs and medicines for diseases that are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality rates in the country as well as the 16 other common and expensive drugs whose prices have been voluntarily reduced by the pharmaceutical companies.

The five selected drugs are two anti-cancer medicines Doxorubicin with prices ranging from P1,465.75 to P2,265.74 and Cytarabine with price range between P240.00 to P1,980.00; anti-hypertensive medications Amlodipine with price ranges from P9.60.00 to P38.50; Azithromycin which is a medication against common infection whose price ranges from P108.50 to P468.00; and anti-high cholesterol drug Atorvastatin with price range between P34.45 to P91.00.

"So far, all the private hospitals and big drug stores in Cebu have abided with the order and have reduced the prices of identified drugs," according to Dept. of Health (DOH-7) public information officer Suzette Limbaga.

The DOH-7 has pasted posters within the vicinity of the hospitals and drug stores visible to the public eye to ensure the latter the type of medicines included in the compulsory price reduction.

Limbaga bared smaller drug stores with manual systems are given until September 15 to comply with the mandatory price cuts of the essential drugs while non-compliance after the deadline will face stiff penalties such as payment of fines and revocation of their license.

Hospital pharmacies and drug stores that have bought the said drugs at higher prices can ask for the rebates from the drug manufacturing firms as price differentials due to the mandatory price cuts must not be shouldered by the retailers, this is learned.