Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2008. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Bangkok Post - August 12, 2008
Apiradee Treerutkuarkul
The committee will examine problems delaying the provision of seven drug regimens, health deputy permanent secretary Paijit Warachit said yesterday.
The committee comprises representatives from five ministries - public health, commerce, finance, foreign affairs and industry - the Budget Bureau, and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association, the Thai Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association and representatives from the public sector would also be invited to participate.
The coup-installed Surayud Chulanont cabinet introduced a policy to bypass patents on essential medicines to boost access to life-saving drugs for people under the national healthcare scheme.
However, only two Aids drugs, effavirenz and lopinavir/ritonavir, have so far been distributed to patients.
The patented version of the leukaemia drug imatinib has been provided under the programme for free by the patent owner.
The heart drug clopidogrel has not been provided because it is still under quality examination at the Department of Medical Sciences.
The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation is sending generic samples of the cancer drug docetaxel for toxic and quality testing in Belgium before importing the medicine for use.
The agency is also looking for manufacturers of generic versions of the cancer drugs letrozole and erlotinib.
Dr Paijit said pool purchasing and pricing control systems were other possible solutions to the problem of costly medicines. Medicines should be placed in the special-product category rather than that for general products so that prices could be controlled, he said.
Compulsory licensing was a good mechanism for price negotiation with multinational drug firms, but would be the last resort for government, he said.
Prateep Tanakitcharoen, deputy secretary-general of the National Health Security Office, said a new sub-panel was set up to study the possibility of enforcing CL on other essential medicines in the long run.
The panel comprises academics, health experts, the consumer protection sector and representatives from state agencies such as the Social Security Office, Commerce and Foreign ministries, the Comptroller-General's Department and the Budget Bureau.
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