The Department of Health (DoH) issued a cease and desist order (CDO) on Thursday to four drugstores that were found violating the mandated price control scheme on selected essential drugs whose implementation began last August 15.

Among those that received the cease and desist order are Stardust Drug and Medical Supplies Corporation, Cheer Up Drugstore, and Sunburst Corporation, all in Sta. Cruz, Manila, and Southstar Drug in Diliman, Quezon City.

The order was served personally by Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III after inspecting the compliance of the drugstores in implementing the reduced drug prices under the Government Mediated Access or the voluntary price control scheme and the Maximum Drug Retail Price (MDRP) as stipulated under EO 821.

Drugstores with a computerized pricing system were ordered to comply by August 15 while smaller pharmacies especially those in far-flung places with a manual pricing and stockpiling  system were given until September 15 to comply with the order.

Five essential drugs have been placed under the MDRP. These include anti-neoplastics or anti-cancer, anti-hypertensives, anti-cholesterol, and antibiotic drugs.

Meanwhile, the 16 medicines that fall under the voluntary price reduction scheme are Telmisartan and Irbesartan (anti-hypertensives); Clopidogrel (anti-thrombotic); Gliclazide (Anti-diabetic/Anti-hypoglycemic), Piperacillin + Tazobactam and all its salt form (antibiotic/antibacterial), Methotrexate Sodium and mesna, which are anti-cancer drugs, and Mercaptopurine (anti-neoplastics/anti-cancer) among others.

"We have inspectors going around to check the compliance of drugstores. We have given them 72 hours to explain in writing why they have not reduced their prices," Duque said.

The CDO served to Stardust Drug and Medical Supplies Corporation was based on a report of violation dated August 19 which showed that the drugstore sold the anti-diabetes drug Gliclazide (Diamicron) 80 mg tablet at a retail price of P15.50, which is almost double than the Government Mediated Access Price of P7.50.

Cheer Up Drugstore was found to be selling eight drugs at their old prices including Co-Amoxiclav, Piperacillin, and Flagyl 500 mg.

Meanwhile, Southstar Drugstore in Diliman, Quezon City was found to be selling the anti-hypertensive drug Amlodipine 5mg tablet at P46.25 against its MDRP of P22.85.

Similarly, Sunburst Drug Corporation sold Amlodipine 5mg tablet at P48 and the anti-cholesterol drug Atorvastatine 80mg at P105.50 as opposed to its MDRP of P50.63.

"We issued the cease and desist order to force them to sell the drugs in prices according to MDRP. They cannot sell the drugs at prices higher than the MDRP. This is the law and we have to follow the law," Duque said.

For drugs falling under the MDRP, sanctions will be applied under RA 9502 or the Universally Accessible Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act of 2008 while sanctions on drugstores that violated medicines that fall under the Government Mediated Access Price will be based upon the Consumer Price Act.