Bridging Policy and Practice in Pharmaceutical Regulation
Efforts to strengthen regulatory implementation and improve access to quality medicines took center stage at a recent dialogue convened by the Swiss Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, in partnership with Zuellig Pharma. The roundtable brought together government, industry, and public-interest stakeholders to exchange perspectives and identify practical approaches to improving regulatory processes in the Philippines.
On 15 April 2026, the inaugural session of the Policy-to-Practice Roundtable Series featured keynote speaker, Food and Drug Administration Philippines Director General Atty. Paolo Teston, who outlined the agency’s current priorities and ongoing reforms.
Mike Alzona, SwissCham Philippines Vice-Chairperson and Zuellig Pharma Government Affairs Head, opened with remarks highlighting the importance of translating policy into effective implementation, particularly in ensuring access to safe, quality, and innovative medicines. This was reinforced by a message of support from the Embassy of Switzerland Deputy Head of Mission Hans-Christian Baumann, underscoring the value of continued public-private collaboration in strengthening the healthcare ecosystem.
Improving systems, not just policies
A key message from the discussion was the importance of strengthening the implementation of existing policies. Director General Teston highlighted efforts to improve processing efficiency, expand technical capacity, and advance digital systems to support more responsive and transparent regulatory services.
Recent developments include increased processing output, workforce expansion, and the continued rollout of e-services and verification platforms aimed at streamlining applications. These initiatives form part of a broader effort to enhance service delivery while maintaining standards for safety and quality.
Concurrently, the discussion acknowledged that improving outcomes requires shared responsibility. Regulatory efficiency is influenced not only by internal systems but also by the quality and completeness of submissions, as well as coordination with international regulatory counterparts.
Bridging the gap between policy and implementation
The panel discussion, moderated by SwissCham Philippines Executive Director, Chris Fajardo, featured industry perspectives from panelists, Zuellig Pharma Regional Director for Regulatory Affairs Fazlin Azlan and CitizenWatch Philippines Lead Convenor Orlando Oxales.
Azlan emphasized the importance of predictability, clarity, and consistency in regulatory processes, noting that these are key to enabling companies to plan effectively and manage product timelines. Meanwhile, Oxales highlighted the practical realities of regulatory compliance, including the need for more efficient and predictable pathways to support timely market access.
The dialogue also provided a platform for stakeholders to raise questions on timelines, compliance requirements, and reliance pathways such as facilitated and collaborative review mechanisms. These exchanges reflected a shared interest in improving both efficiency and clarity across the regulatory process.
Participants emphasized the value of sustained engagement between regulators and industry, including more focused discussions on technical issues and opportunities to strengthen compliance and process alignment.
In closing, Hyeyoon Park, SwissCham Life Sciences and Digital Health Innovation Cluster and Novartis Healthcare Philippines Country President reaffirmed a shared commitment to continued dialogue and collaboration, positioning the roundtable as a starting point for more sustained, solutions-oriented engagement between the public and private sectors.
As highlighted throughout the discussion, strengthening regulatory systems is an ongoing effort that benefits from collaboration, transparency, and continuous feedback. The Policy-to-Practice Roundtable Series aims to support this by providing a platform for constructive dialogue and practical, forward-looking engagement across sectors.
