Australia Aids Philippine Drug Moves

The Philippines Health Department has awarded a A$4 million ($3 million) drug consultancy contract to an Australian team to help eradicate dangerous, substandard and counterfeit drugs from the Philippines.

The program will also encourage a more rational use of approved drugs in the population. Despite the high proportion of the national budget being spent on drugs, half the Filipino population, particularly those in rural areas, is without access to essential drugs.

According to Australian team member Ken Harvey, the pattern of drug use in the country has to become more even, noting that in some sections of the community there is much wastage and overconsumption of drugs. In addition, more expensive imported products are often preferred to locally-manufactured generics, because of the perception that the latter are of low quality.