High Molnupiravir prices leading people to buy fakes, senatorial bet says

This handout photo obtained May 26, 2021, courtesy of Pharmaceutical company Merck shows capsules of the experimental antiviral drug Molnupiravir.

Handout / Merck & Co, Inc. / AFP

MANILA, Philippines — High prices of anti-COVID-19 pill Molnupiravir, which can sell for as much as P13,000 for 40 tablets, may be forcing people to buy counterfeit drugs, health advocate Dr. Minguita Padilla said, adding the prices have become prohibitive.

In a statement on Thursday, Padilla called on the government to "put a cap on the price of Molnupiravir and educate the public more about its proper use to lessen the temptation for people to buy fake versions of the Molnupiravir in sari-sari stores."

"At present, the price of 40 tablets of Molnupiravir, the number needed for a complete course, ranges from P6,000 to P13,000, depending on which hospital sells it.  This can be prohibitive to most patients," Padilla said.

Full Story: https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2022/02/17/2161464/high-molnupiravir-prices-leading-people-buy-fakes-senatorial-bet-says