The Department of Health (DoH) reported Saturday a high compliance of some pharmacies and drugstores on the first day of reduced prices of 49 essential medicines.

This was announced by Health Secretary Franciso Duque III following a visit to the pharmacies and drugstores in Metro Manila.

Duque said that this means many establishments responded to the call of President Arroyo to reduce the prices of essential drugs, based on Executive Order No. 821 which ordered the percent slash of important drugs which took effect Saturday.

Saturday, Duque visited Watson’s Drugstore Megamall branch, Capitol Medical Center pharmacy in Quezon City, Mercury Drugstore on V. Luna; and EAMC pharmacy in Quezon.

He said that 21 molecules/medicines in all preparations that account for the leading causes of morbidity and mortality are now available in all drug retail outlets nationwide at 50 percent discount.

These drugs include those for the treatment of hypertension, cancer, thrombosis, diabetes and infections, among others.

“We are very optimistic that this development will boost the purchase power of our financially-strapped fellow Filipino who want to avail of needed medicines but cannot due to its exorbitant prices,’’ Duque told a news conference at East Avenue Medical Center in Quezon City.

Under the Maximum Drug Retail Price (MDRP), the anti-hypertensive Amlodipine 5mg (including its S-isomer and all salt form) can now be bought at P22.85 from its previous price of P45.70.

Price for Atorvastatin (anti-cholesterol) was also slashed by half in all its dosages (10, 20, 40 and 80 milligrams). For example, the 10 film-coated tablet will now be made available at P34.45 compared to the old retail price of P68.90.

The antibiotic/antibacterial drug Azithromycin and all its Salt form (250 mg) can now be purchased at P108.5 from its old price of P217.00, while the anti-cancer/anti-neoplastics drugs Cytarabine and Doxorubicine and all its Salt form will be available at P240 (100 mg), and P1,465.75 (10 mg) and P2,265.74 (50 mg) compared to their old prices of P480 and P2,931.50 and P4,531 (50 mg), respectively.

Drugs under the voluntary reduction list that were slashed by 50 per- cent include Telmisartan and Irbesartanl (anti-hypertensives), Clopidogrel (anti-thrombotic), Gliclazide (Anti-diabetic/Anti-hypoglycemic), Piperacillin + Tazobactam and all its Salt form (antibiotic/antibacterial), Mercaptopurine and all its salt form (anti-neoplastics/anti-cancer), Co-Amoxiclav (amoxicilline+Clavulanic acid), Ciprofloxacin and all its Salt form, Metronidazole and all its salt form, Bleomycine and all its Salt form, Carboplatin, Cisplatin, Cyclophosphamide, Etoposide (No innovator locally), Mercaptopurine, Methotrexate sodium (no innovator locally) and Mesna.

The old retail price for these branded drugs ranges from P80.00 to P9,000.

But Duque said that several drugstores and private pharmacies still failed to comply with the August 15 deadline despite the time allowance.