Watsons brings affordable and quality health into Filipino homes

Watson’s Launching of Generic Medicines. In photo: (l-r) Mr. Robert Sun; General Manager, Watson Philippines, Mr. Danilo S. Chiong; Head for Health Business, Watson’s Personal Care Stores Inc., Dr. Teodoro Herbosa; Undersecretary, Department of Health, Ms. Lorna Tolentino; Watson’s Brand Ambassadress, Mr. Edu Manzano; Watson’s Brand Ambassador, Dr. Anthony Leachon; President, Philippine College of Physicians and Mr. Martin So; Chief Executive Officer, Health & Beauty, Watson Asia and Eastern Europe.

Filipinos are extremely family-oriented. One family member’s health concern is shared by the rest of the family – whether it is for the maintenance medications of the elderly lolos and lolas, the vitamins and supplements for nanay, ate and kuya, or cough and colds medicines for tatay. Family members seek to help relatives with their health cost burdens, especially since branded medicines could be very costly.

Recognizing this, Watsons, the number one pharmacy retail brand in Asia*, gives families more options for high quality but affordable generic medicines with the recent launch of its own generics line.

With Watsons Generics’ wide range of medicines and supplements, the most essential health needs of the entire family can be met. Pantry stocking is made easy and affordable with various vitamins, pain relief, cough and cold medicines to aid the recovery of a sick loved one. Super Moms are equipped to fight off common bacteria with the roster of effective and affordable antibiotics. The younger generation will be able to find supplements like Vitamin B that will suit their fast-paced lifestyle. Young women can also purchase affordable beauty ingestives such as collagen or glutathione, giving them the opportunity to be able to focus on other things such as a dream vacation. The elderly can also benefit from Watsons Generics’ wide portfolio of maintenance medicines to help manage their diabetes, hypertension or high blood. The lolo of the family, who previously would not regularly take his maintenance medicines due to high costs, can now make the switch to affordable generics as he is now assured of its quality.

“We recognize that each family will have specific needs when it comes to their health. However, with the rising cost of not just medicines but all commodities, families may have difficulty meeting each specific need. With the launch of Watsons Generics, we aim to help families by giving them more healthcare options and the ability to purchase affordable, high-quality medicines. This will not just give them access to quality healthcare products, they will also be able to focus their finances on other important matters,” said Mr. Danilo Chiong, Health Business Unit Director of Watsons.

The Watsons Generics line includes maintenance medicines for diabetes, hypertension and cholesterol, antibiotics to fight off the common bacteria, dietary supplements for skin enhancement, anti-ageing and over-all wellness, basic vitamins, oral analgesics, and other over the counter medicines. This is just the first phase, and Watsons aims to continuously launch generic medicines to provide wider healthcare solution.

To ensure the quality of Watsons Generics, our partner manufacturers undergo a screening process that meets international standards. “Our generic medicines are produced by trusted partners. All of these go through a rigorous screening process and a third party audit. These methods on top of Philippine regulatory agency standards assure consumers that they are purchasing high quality products,” said Mr. Chiong.

Watsons Generics medicines have all passed the regulatory requirements of local and international quality assurance agencies. The medicines are registered with the Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA), passed bioequivalence test and the manufactured by facilities with certificates of Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP). The Watsons Generics have all of these quality assurances while offering up to 80% savings vs. leading brands.

Watsons Generics answers the demand for affordable health care products in Filipino households. Around the country, families all prefer to have affordable medicines for their various health needs, without having to worry about quality and cost.

“For more than 170 years, Watsons has been providing health and wellness products to its customers worldwide. We are excited to do the same in the Philippines by allowing Filipino families to take charge of their health without the fear of financial burden,” said Mr. Chiong.

For families, Watsons Generics squarely addresses their health and financial concerns, providing an alternative that gives them peace of mind and an assurance of high quality for their most pressing health concerns.

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