Pharmaceutical firms vow to hike production

MANILA, Philippines — The country’s group of pharmaceutical firms is looking to increase manufacturing capacity to ensure medicines and medical equipment are available to patients during the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19 crisis.

To ensure adequate supply in the country, the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP) is committed to work with government on unhampered transport and distribution, and in determining the number of medicines needed.

“PHAP members are doing their best to increase manufacturing capacity, keeping their plants and warehouses open to maintain steady supply of medicines. They are also managing their inventories, especially the supplies that come in,” the group said in a statement.

“PHAP members are helping in any way we can for an uninterrupted supply of life-saving medicines needed for the management of COVID-19, and other conditions such as cancer, diabetes, respiratory and heart diseases,” they added.

The group said  high demand for vitamins and specific medicines has created an artificial shortage during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We encourage patients not to overstock so that vulnerable patients and at-risk groups are not left untreated. We are accelerating production and working hard to manage a good level of inventory. There are scheduled deliveries for most of these medicines,” PHAP said.

It also called on patients to buy and use just the medicines prescribed by their doctors.

PHAP cited the need to work  with the government for unhampered transport and distribution of medicines and medical devices throughout the country.