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The country spent around US$2.

58bn on
pharmaceuticals in 2009, up by over 200%
compared to 2003, illustrating the growing
strength of the market.
The Philippines per-capita drug expenditure
of US$28.8 in 2009 was above that of its
immediate neighbours but only a fraction of
the regions leading market, Japan.
The country is heavily reliant on foreign
drugs, which account for around 75% of the
market by value, despite the fact that
counterfeiting is a significant problem.

Leading domestic firm United


Laboratories
(Unilab) controls about 80% of the
local generics market. Pfizer is the
leading multinational

The Food, Drugs and Cosmetics Act


originally introduced in 1963 and heavily
revised in subsequent years (most
significantly after the 1986 fall of the
Marcos dictatorship) provides the main
regulatory framework.
The Philippines Food and Drugs
Administration (FDA) was formed after
President Gloria MacapagalArroyo signed Republic Act 9711 a
consolidation of Senate Bill 2645 and
House Bill 3293 into law in August 2009.
The new regulatory body replaces the
Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD), under
the auspices of the Department of Health.
In 2003, the Philippines Healthcare and
Pharmaceutical Association (PHAP) created
its own regulations for pharmaceutical
promotion, contained in the Code of
Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices.

The governments administrative order


(AO) No. 85 permits the state-run
Philippine International Trading
Corporation (PITC) to parallel
import (PI) branded, off-patent
pharmaceuticals from India.
The AO No. 2005-0001 eliminated
both patent linkage between patents in
the country and the generic drug
approval process from BFADs
responsibilities. The move has
effectively allowed BFAD to accept
product registration applications
without the need to verify if the
product is under patent
protection. Moreover, BFAD is also
exempt from validating a known
patent.

Material necessary for the first 12


months of promotion must include the following:
The brand or generic name of the product;
Product description;
Dosage quantities and forms;
Manufacturers name and address;
Clinical information, including precautions and warnings;
Storage conditions.
After the initial 12-month period, only the following information is required
on promotional material:
dosage quantities and forms; indications for use; route of administration;
precautions, warnings and
adverse effects; and contraindications.
The governments administrative order (AO) No. 85 permits the state-run

The 1988 Generics Act has made little positive impact on the
generics market. The generic drug sales accounted for only
10% of the countrys medicine market. Highly-priced
branded drugs enjoy significant market share due to their
strong marketing power.
In June 2008, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed the
Universally Accessible Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act of
2008 (previously known as the Cheaper Medicines Bill),
which aimed to increase the use of affordable generic
medicines while simultaneously reducing reliance on foreign
patented medicines. Specifically, legislation stipulates that
pharmaceutical companies cannot apply for patents based on
newly discovered uses of a known drug.

The Botika ng Bayan (BNB) outlets, which are


government-licensed stores that sell cheaper
medicines to those on low incomes. In 2010
there are more than 15,000 BNBs which are
operational by 2010, and there is a significant
increase on the current figure of 11,000. Local
manufacturers of generic drugs such as Unilab
will also see an upside, primarilydue to more
government orders for their products.

ABBOTT
LABORATORIES,
INC.
AMBER PACKAGING CORPORATION
APO INTERNATIONAL MARKETING
CORPORATION
ASHFORD LABORATORIES, INC.
ASTRAZENECA PHARM.
(PHILS.), INC.
BAXTER HEALTHCARE
PHILS., INC.

BAYER
PHILIPPINES,
INC.
CATALENT
PHARMA
SOLUTIONS INC.
CLARKCHEM
E.L.
LABORATORIES,
INC.
EDWARD KELLER
PHILS. INC.
ELI-LILLY
(PHILS.), INC

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HIZON LABS.
INC.

Flexo
Manufacturing
Corp.
FOLARES
PHARMACEUTIC
ALS, INC.
GDL Capsule
Phil., Inc.
GLAXOSMITHK
LINE BEECHAM

GX
INTERNATION

INTERCHEMEX
INTERNATIONA
L
INTERPHIL
LABS. INC.

JANSSEN
PHARMACEUTI
CA
LA CROESUS
PHARMA. INC.

LEJAL
LABORATORIES,
INC.
21

MEAD JOHNSON
PHILS.
METROLAB
SARALEE
COMPANY
MORISHITASEGGS PHARMA.
NATRAPHAR
M, INC.

PASCUAL LABS.

PFIZER INC.

PHARMATRIX
CORPORATION
PHILMED
LABORATORIES,
INC.

NETPAK
PHILS. INC.

PHOENIX
PHARMA

NOVARTIS
HEALTHCARE
PHILS.

Premier Creative
Packaging Inc.
RECKITT BENCKISER
HEALTHCARE PHILS.

22

WYETH PHILS.
ROCHE
PHILS.
SAN
MIGUEL
PACKAGIN
G
PRODUCTS
SANOFIAVENTIS
SCHERING
PLOUGH
CORP.
SHIMADZU
PHILS.
CORP.

SOLVAY
PHARMA
SWISS PHARMA
RESEARCH
LABS.,INC.
Takeda
Pharmaceuticals
TELSTAR
MFTG.
CORP.
THEO-PAM
TRADING
CORPORATIO
N
UNIMEX INC.

YSS LABS. CO. INC.


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Health Tips
Simple tips to prevent Childhood Obesity
It is good to see our kids looking healthy and fat.
But parents should control their eating as
overweight can result to heart problems, high blood
pressure and other conditions.
Tips to prevent obesity in children:
Show a good example.
Parents should be good examples in terms of
lifestyle and healthy eating.
Spare time to exercise.
Discover your childrens preferred activities and
interests that will burn calories and do this with
them on a regular basis. Running, swimming,
biking, walking or jogging are good options.
Read more > > >

The company began in 1945 with a single store


owned by Mariano Que. He named it after Mercury,
the messenger of the gods inRoman
mythology and whose staff, the caduceus, is
sometimes used as a symbol of medicine.
A blister pack sold by "tingi-tingi" (individual
pieces).
In 1945, Mercury Drug cut packaged bulk items
into single pieces and began to sell them
individually. This practise is colloquially called
"tingi-tingi" in Filipino.
In 1963, upon the invitation of Ayala Corporation,
Mercury Drug opened its second branch in May
1963 at a developing commercial center
in Makati (now known as the Ayala Center).
In 1965, Mercury Drug established its landmark
branch in Quiapo, Manila.
Mariano Que now has a new building, MDC100.

It introduced many "firsts" in the


Philippine drugstore industry:
1948: Motorized customer delivery
service
1952: 17-hour, 7 days a week
drugstore service
1963: Self-service drugstore
1965: 24-hours, 7 days a week
service
1967: Computerized temperaturecontrolled central warehouse
1969: Biological refrigerators to
preserve life-saving medicines
1976: Expansion
throughout Luzon, Visayas and Mi
ndanao.
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Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Mercury Group of Companies, Inc.


Incorporated: 1945
Employees: 7,000
Sales: PHP 42.98 billion ($8.8 billion) (2003 est.)
NAIC: 446110 Pharmacies and Drug Stores
Mercury Drug Corporation is the Philippines' dominant pharmacy
group. The Quezon City-based company operates a national chain
of more than 450 drugstores, including company-owned and
franchised stores. Mercury Drug is estimated to sell as much as 60
percent of all medicines sold each year in the Philippines (the
country's hospitals sell about 12 percent of medicines). Mercury
Drug's pharmacies follow the American model, combining drug and
medical equipment sales with over-the-counter medicines, personal
care items, basic household needs, cosmetics and other beauty
products, and the like. Most of the company's stores also are
equipped to store and sell serums, blood plasma, albumin, and
similar biologically active medical products. In addition to its
drugstores, Mercury operates a chain of Mercury Drug Superstores.
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