The Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines has escalated concerns over protracted Health Technology Assessment (HTA) timelines, warning regulators that delays are slowing Filipinos’ access to life-saving medicines and tying up scarce public funds.
At a January 29 meeting in Quezon City with the Anti-Red Tape Authority, PHAP executives told Secretary Ernesto V. Perez that drawn-out HTA reviews are blocking treatments—particularly for cancer patients—even when funding is available and benefit packages have expanded.
Many of the products in question already hold approval from the Philippine Food and Drug Administration and are accessible in regional markets such as Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. But without HTA clearance and listing in the Philippine National Formulary, government hospitals cannot procure or reimburse them, creating a costly bottleneck.
PHAP argued that the lag risks leaving allocated budgets idle while patients wait for timely care. The group pressed for clearer timelines, faster evaluations and tighter coordination among agencies overseeing the process.
ARTA signaled it is prepared to act.
Through its Compliance Monitoring and Evaluation Office, the agency will send a follow-up letter by mid-February to the Department of Health and the Department of Science and Technology seeking updates on the proposed HTA Administrative Order and steps to accelerate pending reviews.
Perez also pledged to consider a regulatory impact assessment under Republic Act No. 11032 to ensure HTA rules align with global best practices and avoid unnecessary red tape.
ARTA recommended stronger inter-agency coordination and updated process maps, while PHAP committed to submitting technical proposals and joining a working group to help break the logjam.
