A viewer felt concerned when her mother returned home from a check-up with a prescription for an expensive branded medication. Knowing they could barely afford it, she suggested asking the doctor for a generic alternative. However, the response they received left her shocked and confused.

In the “Tanong ng Pilipino” segment of ‘CIA with BA’, Bianca from Antipolo, Rizal shared a concern about her mother being prescribed branded medicines after a medical check-up.“Alam kong mahal ‘yung branded na gamot kaya sinabihan ko siyang itanong kung pwede bang generic na lamang ang ilagay sa reseta. (I know branded medicine is expensive, so I told him to ask if it was possible to just put a generic on the prescription)," she added.

However, according to Bianca, the doctor insisted that they only prescribe branded medicines. This prompted her to ask: “Tama po ba ito? Paano naman po ‘yung mga walang pambili tulad ng nanay ko? (Is this right? What about those who have nothing to buy like my mother?)"

Atty. Matt Cesa, one of the program’s legal experts, explained that doctors are not supposed to limit prescriptions to branded medicines alone. “To answer your question, no. Hindi naman [dapat] na wala silang choice,” he said.

“Actually, under the Universally Accessible Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act, required ‘yung mga doctor na kapag nagpre-prescribe [ng mga gamot] na isulat ‘yung generic na pangalan ng gamot. (Actually, under the Universally Accessible Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act, doctors are required to write the generic name of the medicine when prescribing [medicines])," Cesa explained.

He further emphasized that branded and generic medicines are equally effective, as they undergo the same testing processes to ensure quality and safety.

“Ang pinagmulan naman kasi nito, whether generic ka or branded, same lang naman na epektibo ‘yung gamot dahil dumadaan naman ito sa tests na nag-eensure na quality siya at pasok siya. (The source of this, whether it's generic or branded, is the same as the effectiveness of the medicine because it goes through tests that ensure its quality and efficacy)," he added.

“Hindi dapat na branded lang. Dapat ilagay ‘yung generic name. Optional lang kung gusto ng doktor ‘yung brand na gusto niya. (It shouldn't just be branded. The generic name should be included. It's optional if the doctor wants the brand he wants)," Cesa reiterated.

Led by Senator Alan Peter Cayetano and the King of Talk Boy Abunda, ‘CIA with BA’ continues the advocacy of the late Senator Rene Cayetano. The program airs every Sunday at 11 p.m. on GMA7, with a replay every Saturday at 10:30 p.m. on GTV.