As a pharmacists, our role is to
promote healthcare, to inform drugs' information, optimize the use of
drugs and to manufacture quality and safe medicines. Most of the time
we are in the middle of two banks which pulling up our decision
towards them. But no choice is made, because some aspects in our
profession are also considered.
Reproductive Health Bill, well-known as RH
Bill, is a proposed law in the Philippines that enabling the
universal access to methods on contraception, abortion, birth
control, sex education and maternal care. It was strongly opposed by
the Catholic Church and some pro-life groups because of the unwanted
and severe results that can arise, and this could be the starting
point for other laws relevant to it to emerge in the future. The
Congress had already approved the proposed law and taken up to the
Senate where some issues and oppositions were heard from the
senators, and it is still being seriously discussed in the higher
legislative that caused delay to approve the said bill.
What must be the stand of
pharmaceutical industry regarding this social issue? Are we really
affected about this issue? What might be the rebound to the industry
and profession?
I can say that this issue is a very
serious matter to tackle. Contraceptives, fertility control drugs and
drugs' side effects use as abortifacient are rudiment to the
pharmaceutical industry. International pharmaceutical companies and
local pharmaceutical businesses are engaging in manufacturing,
distribution and retailing of such drugs. This means of a dynamic
industry is alive in our country helping our economy to progress and
alleviating poverty and overpopulation to reduce.
When the bill is enacted into law and
released its Implementing Rules and Regulation (IRR), this will be
the start of changes in our view towards contraception, fertility
control, sexual education and maternal care. There will be a
universal access to contraceptive drugs and devices such as condoms,
pills, IUD, hormonal drugs and etc.
But what can be the real help to the
pharmaceutical industry? And how can it be helped to consumers?
By imposing this bill it will secure
pharmaceutical businesses, locally or internationally, to increase
their sales and profit with regards to the drugs and devices that
scope of this proposed law. There will be a massive procurement of
these products of the government to distribute to the local health
centers and give them freely to patients who want family planning.
Therefore, companies will participate on this matter and a bidding
shall be applied. Also, the contraceptives are easily acquired in
drugstores whenever a prescription is presented. Companies will
compete with regards to price that may cut to half, due to occurrence
of different new brands of each company, and a high supply-demand
will instigate, too. Companies will manufacture more of them,
distribute and high notch will be an outcome of the fast turn-overs.
This will improve the quality of life of Filipinos by reducing the
chance to get pregnant, reduce poverty and overpopulation rate,
lessen the chance to contract sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
and promotes family planning. It also gives mothers the chance to
care for themselves, not to be pregnant easily and teach them about
excellent maternal care . It will also help to educate youths about
sex, STDs, maternal care, abortion and contraceptive drugs and
enlighten them on proper handling on these situations and how can
they cope up when something happened to them.
Of course if there is good on this bill
there will be always bad perspectives that can cause. The Catholic
Church had always emphasizing that life starts within the meeting of
the egg cell and the sperm. It is also said in the Holy Bible that
life is created by God and him alone can take it. The church's
crusade against this bill has gone to long already. It was ten years
ago that it was fought by the church and repeatedly state that life
is sacred and cannot be defiled. Some pro-life groups also concurred
to the Catholic Church and asking the government not to pass this
bill, and believing that this proposed law will be the culmination of
other moral and anti-life laws to be passed such as divorce,
strengthening law for abortion, same sex marriage and others.
Philippines is the only country in the Asia that has no specific law
with relevance to this moral and social issue, though. But the
pro-life groups and Catholic Church have conviction and clear in
their advocacy not to passed this bill. Whereof, some pharmaceutical
businesses were affected by this issue, too. Some owners and
stockholders who are pro-life prohibited and inhibited the selling of
contraceptive drugs and devices in their drugstores, same as for
manufacturing and distribution of such products. Because of this
intrigue, there is a big dispute within the company of those who are
cons, undecided, pros and those who wanted business alone that leads
to stern rift amongst them.
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