FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
7 Jblb -4 KlOX93 
8. 
S E N A T E  
Senate Bill No. 9
2
 
INTRODUCED BY SEN. MANNY VILLAR 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The rising pharmaceutical costs and prices greatly contributes to the 
worsening health condition of Filipinos, especially those belonging to the middle 
and lower classes of society, because they could no longer afford the prices of 
pharmaceutical drugs being sold in the market. This situation is exacerbated by 
the fact that they are often left without any choice in buying the prescribed drug 
even if the same costs beyond their buying power as they have no information as 
to the alternative drugs with relatively cheaper price than that prescribed to them. 
In view of this, the attached bill seeks to establish a Prescription Drug 
Retail Price Registry” in the Department of Health for the purpose of making retail 
price information for the 150 most frequently prescribed prescription drugs in the 
country readily available to consumers. The purpose of this bill is to establish a 
registry that would make available all information regarding the drug retail price 
being charged by various drug retailers in this country. 
MANNYVI LAR 9 


FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
S E N A T E  
7 
Jw_ -4 A10:03 
w- 
... , 
Senate Bill No. 978 
INTRODUCED BY SEN. MANNY VILLAR 
AN ACT 
ESTABLISHING THE "PRESCRIPTION DRUG RETAIL PRICE REGISTRY" 
Be it enacted by fhe Senate and House of Representatives of the 
Philippines in Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. There is established the "Prescription Drug Retail Price 
Registry" in the Department of Health for the purpose of making retail price 
information for the 150 most frequently prescribed prescription drugs in the 
country readily available to consumers. 
SECTION 2. The registry shall include information from drug retail price 
lists reported to the Secretary of the Department by pharmacies and shall be 
updated by the department at least weekly to reflect the most current 
information reported to the Secretary by pharmacies. 
The registry shall be organized by the Secretary in a format that is 
conducive to review and comparison by consumers of prescription drug retail 
prices charged by pharmacies in each city or municipality within the country, 
and shall include the name and address of each pharmacy. 
SECTION 3. The Department shall make available electronically on its 
Internet website in English the information contained in the registry, and shall 
make copies of the information available to consumers upon request by 
means of a toll-free telephone service operated by the department. 
The information made available on the Internet website shall: 


1. be organized to meet the requirements under the law and be 
designed so that the consumer may download and print the displayed 
information; 
2. include Internet web links to other governmental information 
resources that provide information relating to the regulation of 
prescription drugs and health care coverage and pharmaceutical 
assistance programs; and 
3. contain clearly understandable language that is designed to assist 
consumers in understanding the content of, and how to access, the 
information made available on the website pursuant to this section. 
SECTION 4. 
The Department shall prepare at least annually, and 
shall make available in both printed and electronic form to each pharmacy 
practice site in the State without charge, a list of the 150 most frequently 
prescribed prescription drugs that includes the usual dosages prescribed for 
each drug. 
Each pharmacy in the country shall compile a drug retail price list, 
which contains the names of the drugs on the list provided by the Department 
pursuant to preceding paragraph and the retail price for each drug on the Jist 
charged at that pharmacy and shall make the drug retail price list available to 
customers upon request. 
(1) The drug retail price list shall include a notice that states as 
follows: 
"Consult your pharmacist for the selection of the most 
economical drug product available to fill your prescription." 
(2) The pharmacy shall post a sign that notifies customers of the 
availability of the drug retail price list in a conspicuous location that is: 
at or adjacent to the place where prescriptions are presented for 
compounding and dispensing; in the waiting area for customers; or in 
the area where prescribed drugs are delivered. 
(3) The pharmacy shall report to the Secretary, on a form and in 
a manner and according to a schedule established by the 
commissioner, the information included in its drug retail price list. The 
pharmacy shall update the information that it reports to the Secretary at 
least weekly. 
SECTION 5. The provisions of this Act shall not be construed to prevent 
a pharmacy from changing or charging the current retail price at any time, 


provided that the listed price is updated at least weekly to reflect the new retail 
price. 
As used in this section, "retail price" means the actual price to be paid 
by a retail purchaser to a pharmacy for a drug on the retail price list at the 
listed dosage. 
SECTION 6. The Secretary in consultation with the Bureau of Food and 
Drugs shall adopt rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of this 
section. 
SECTION 7. In the event that any provision or part of this Act shall be 
declared unconstitutional by the courts, the remaining provisions shall remain 
valid and in full force and effect. 
SECTION 8. All laws, orders, rules and regulations or part thereof 
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or amended 
accordingly. 
SECTION 9, This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication 
in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) national newspapers of general 
circulation whichever comes earlier. 
Approved,