Manila Times – September 25, 2007

THE Department of Health yesterday commemorated the 29th anniversary of the Generics Law with the launching if its 10,000th Botika ng Barangay (BnB) branch at Barangay Pinagkaisahan in Cubao, Quezon City. Started in 2003, the BnB program made low-priced generic over-the-counter drugs more accessible to poor people.

Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III said the BnB is one of the products of the “Half-Priced Medicines Program” of the government, which aims to reduce the cost of medicines commonly bought by the poor, to half of their 2001 prices. These medicines are then made available nationwide through a distribution network as determined by the DOH in coordination with the Philippine International Trading Corp (PITC).

“This is big news as more indigent Filipinos can now have access to low-priced yet effective medicines,” Duque said. “Presently, we have 385 outlets around Metro Manila, with more to be opened soon.”

Duque added the process of putting up a BnB outlet is easy based on present procedures.

Under present procedures, the DOH first identifies the site, enters into an agreement with the local government, and scouts for supervising pharmacists. The DOH will then provide P25,000 worth of drugs and medicines to the local government through the PITC.

The DOH will also provide training for the BnB operators. The drugs to be sold will then undergo quality assurance tests at the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD).

“The drugs and medicines [with BFAD clearance] will then be sent to the DOH regional offices [called Centers for Health Development], which will in turn distribute it to its BnB outlets,” Duque said.

Common medicines that are being sold in BnBs are amoxicillin 500 mg. capsules (prices as of July this year was P2.02 per capsule vs. P5.10 of the branded kind); cotrimo¬xazole tablet/capsule (at P1.69/capsule vs. branded at P9.20); paracetamol 500 mg. tablets (at P46/tablet vs. branded at P1.15); and multivitamins for children (at P27.11/60 ml bottle vs. branded at P45.90).

As of August this year, the regions with the most number of BnB outlets are Central Luzon (1,572), Western Visayas (1,118) and Ilocos (728).

--Katrice R. Jalbuena