Prices of 49 essential medicines will be reduced to half, the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP) assured as the Executive Order No. 821 ordering the 50 percent price slash of important drugs takes effect on Saturday.

In a statement, PHAP said it will also voluntarily release the list of drugs whose prices were reduced into half. PHAP has formulated a comprehensive voluntary package of medicines that is aligned with the objectives of the Universally Accessible Quality and Cheaper Medicines Act.

"Medicines used for the treatment of hypertension, cancer, thrombosis, diabetes, anti-infectives are among the products which prices will voluntarily be lowered by 50 percent," PHAP said in a statement.

These include Telmisartan and Irbesartan (anti-hypertensives); Clopidogrel (anti-thrombotic); Gliclazide (Anti-diabetic/Anti-hypoglycemic), Piperacillin + Tazobactam and all its Salt form (antibiotic/antibacterial), and Mercaptopurine (anti-neoplastics/anti-cancer) among others.

Department of Health (DoH) Secretary Francisco T. Duque III is set to inspect the compliance of drugstores today to ensure that they adhere to the price reduction rule.

Duque will visit Watson's drugstore Megamall branch, Capitol Medical Center pharmacy in Quezon City, Mercury drugstore in V. Luna, Quezon City, and East Avenue Medical Center pharmacy in Quezon City. But PHAP reiterated that price control is not the best measure to bring down drug prices in the country.

"PHAP, composed of 53 Filipino and global pharmaceutical companies, maintains that free market competition, and not price control, will bring greater benefits to patients," PHAP said. "With the implementation of the voluntary price reduction, PHAP now proposes that a longer term solution be implemented that considers healthcare reform, including adequate healthcare financing through PhilHealth, infrastructure building and training of healthcare providers in the rural provinces."