Republic Act No.

6675, otherwise known as Generics Act of 1988, is the

consolidation of Senate Bill No. 453 and House Bill No. 10900 that was
passed by the Senate on August 25, 1988 and by the House of
Representative on August 31, 1988. It was signed into law on September
13, 1988 by President Corazon C. Aqiuno.

The Generics Act of 1988 adheres to the following policies:

To promote and require the use of generic terminology or generic

name for drugs. This encompasses the means of procuring,
manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of drugs.

To ensure that there are enough supplies of affordable drugs with

generic names and make them available for free to poor patients.

To encourage the extensive use of drugs with generic names

through a system of procurement and distribution.

To emphasize the scientific basis for the use of drugs so health

professionals become aware and knowledgeable of their
therapeutic effectiveness; and

To promote drug safety by minimizing copies in medications

and/or use of drugs with potentially adverse drug interactions.

Penalties

All government health agencies and personnel as well as all medical

practitioners are required to use generic terminology or generic names in
all transactions including the brand name if desired. Failure to do so shall
suffer reprimand recorded by the PRC on the first conviction, a fine of ten
thousand to twenty five thousand pesos on the second conviction, a fine
of twenty five thousand to fifty thousand pesos and license suspension for
sixty days on the third conviction, and a fine not less one hundred
thousand pesos and license suspension for a year or longer on the fourth
conviction.

All companies involved in the manufacturing up to the distribution of

drugs and machines are required to indicate the generic name of products
prominently above the brand name along with the name and country of
manufacture as well as the manufacturing and expiration dates. Every
drug manufacturing company in the Philippines is also required to produce
and distribute their medicine to the general public in the form of generic
drugs. Meanwhile, all drug outlets are required to inform buyers of all
products under a certain generic name so that they are aware of their
options and choices. Companies and drug outlets who fail to comply shall
suffer a fine of not less than one hundred thousand pesos and suspension
or revocation of license to operate at the of the drug establishment or
outlet for the officers directly responsible for the violation shall suffer the
penalty of forty thousand pesos and revocation of license to license to
practice the profession.

NEWS ARTICLE

Buy generics only

from legit stores
DOH

Generic drugs are just as effective as their branded counterparts. But these
unbranded medicines must be purchased from accredited pharmacies or
drugstores, the Department of Health (DOH) reminded Filipino consumers
in an advisory posted on its social media sites.

Generic drugs are those not covered by patent protection and are labeled
only by their international nonproprietary or generic name.

Purchase generic drugs only from drugstores that are accredited or

registered by the Food and Drug Administration to ensure their quality,
efficacy and safety, said the DOH on its Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Cheaper alternatives

It said generic drugs were cheaper alternatives to branded medicines and

were as highly effective in treating ailments as they contain the same
active ingredient found in expensive and branded drugs.
The DOH has been promoting Republic Act No. 6675, or the Generics Act
of 1988, as part of its efforts to attain universal healthcare. The generics
law, which requires doctors to prescribe generic drugs with an option to
include the branded counterpart, aims to make access to medicines easier
for Filipinos.
In 2013, the DOH reported that 25 years after the enactment of the
generics law, unbranded medicines had gained wider acceptance in the
country, with five to six out of 10 Filipinos opting to buy generic drugs.
The health agency had also said that generic drugs had become cheaper
by more than 50 percent compared to branded counterparts and the
market share of generic medicine had expanded to 60 percent since the
passage of the generics law.

Insights

The use of generic drugs is expected to grow over the next few years as a
number of popular drugs come off patent through 2017. Pharmaceutical
companies are formulating new branded drugs through studying, conducting and
investing huge amounts of money for research and development reaching a span of
10-15 years. After a long and strenuous effort, an approval process will be
required by the Food and Drug Administration for demonstration that is it safe
and effective ensuring that it will do no harm against the health of the people.
Since it is expensive and time consuming, the FDA typically gives drug companies
12 years of patent protection to allow them to regain their investment, earn profit
and endorse their own product exclusively under their trade name. After the patent
from the branded drug ended, generic drugs are formulated and sold for a lower
cost.. They are cheaper but they must also meet the strict guideline so that the same
amount of active ingredients is delivered to the body at the same time but
REMEMBER Generic drug is not always the best choice.

Thats why RA 6675 not only encourages people to use generic drugs but also
promote, ensure and emphasize the safety and protection of people against adverse
reaction while having the benefit and at the same time, saving a huge amount of
money.