Look to Pakistan for Cheaper Medicines: The Manila Times

By Dante “Klink” Ang 2nd, Executive Editor

KARACHI, Pakistan: "The Philippines should look at Pakistan as a source of affordable medicines, an envoy told The Manila Times.

Muhammad Naeem Khan, Pakistan’s ambassador to the Philippines, said he was “shocked” when he bought medicines in Manila, where the prices were as much as 50 percent higher than identical or similar products in his home country.

Philippine lawmakers have been struggling for several years to pass a bill intended to bring down the costs of medicines. On Monday, Philippine Health Undersecretary Alexander Padilla said foreign pharmaceuticals might step up their lobby effort—and even file cases in court—to prevent the bill from becoming a law.

“Our own [pharmaceutical] companies have become very strong,” Khan said, adding that Pakistan now has the capability to export drugs. It’s not Pakistan’s main export products, though, which are mainly garments and agricultural goods.

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