The Philippine Online Chronicles

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has signed Executive Order 821 under the cheaper medicines law to effectively cut by half the prices of five different drugs.

These are: the anti-hypertensive amlodipine, the anti-cholesterol atorvastatin, the antibiotic azithromycin, and the cancer drugs cytarabine and doxorubicin.

Pharmaceutical companies have also agreed to halve the prices of 16 other drugs.

The changes in price will take effect on August 15. Failure of drugstores and hospitals to enact the price changes by September 15 will incur penalties.