DEMAND AND SUPPLY

By Boo Chanco
The Philippine Star 08/01/2005

A PUBLIC health project of the government is redefining the landscape of rural health in our country. Dubbed "Botika sa Barangay" (BsB), it is a major pro-poor project of the Department of Health (DoH) in collaboration with the Philippine International Trade Center (PITC) and local drug producers.

The Botika sa Barangay project seeks to make quality medicines more affordable and available to our people down to the barangay level and to the poorest of the poor among our people.

To date, there are 4,506 Botika sa Barangay outlets nationwide from Batanes to Jolo. Low-priced medicines, branded as well as generic, are made available to the barangay folk. Sold at these outlets are antibiotics, pain relievers, cough syrups, etc., along with vitamins. Their prices are five to six times cheaper than those sold in most drugstores.

Studies made by the Philippine Information Agency show the sales of medicines at drugstores account for 88 percent of the R80-billion pharmaceutical market in the country. Thus, the Botika sa Barangay was launched to meet the needs of Filipinos buying medicines from drugstores rather than from government hospitals.

We hope that more Botika sa Barangay will be opened by the Department of Health in the days to come. This will boost our people’s health needs while demonstrating to them that the government is truly concerned in promoting their well-being.

We congratulate the Department of Health, the Philippine International Trade Center, and our local drug producers for this laudable program.