Some questions linger:
- Why are only 5 essential medicines included when the original recommendation by the Department of Health (DOH) was more than 20? Only these 5 medicines are included --- "the anti-hypertensive amlodipine (including its S-isomer and all salt form); the anti-cholesterol atorvastatin; the antibiotic/antibacterial azithromycin (and all its salt form); and the anti-neoplastics/anti-cancer cytarabine and doxorubicin (and all its salt form)."
- Why still wait this long ? Executive Order 821 takes effect on August 15, 2009. Meanwhile, chronically-ill patients whose survival depend on these medicines will bear the unnecessary risk of becoming worse or dying.
