I join the Phil. Medical Association against proviison to CMB

I am not anti-poor. I am all for this cheaper medicines bill. I am all for cheaper medicines. What i object to, and what the PMA objects to, is the provision that prevents doctors from prescribing particular brands of medicine, as the new provision to the Cheaper Medicine Bills state, is playing with the health of millions of Filipinos. Generics may be okay for simple coughs. But in cases like pneumonia which is not easy to cure, simple generics might not be the solution, according to Dr. Jose Sabili, president of the Philippine Medical Association.
Branded medicines have underwent and passed numerous testing. To simply come up with generic equivalents of these medicines without the needed research is reckless. Doctors should have a say on what they think will be the best medicine for their patients. Sure, they can include the generic name of the said medicine so the patient has the option to choose, but let us not prvent them from recommending rbands that have been tried and tested. We cannot play God with the lives of our citizens just so some congressmen can look good on Television 2 years before elections. I feel that if this bill is not properly reviewed, this will cause more harm than good. Again, let me make it clear that i am not against the Bill, just the provision that prohibits doctors from prescribing paritcular brands.