Cheaper medicines
for the less privileged

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Managing Editor ANTONIETA B. LOPEZ Business Editor ODETTE MONTELIBANO Desk Editor MARY ANN BARCELONA Advertising Coordinator RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete

ANDRES R. LEONARDIA Managing Director

The offer of the government to drug store owners and pharmacists in Negros Oriental to sign up for the half-priced medicine program is a very laudable project envisioned by the Bureau of Food and Drugs for the benefit of the lower income and less-privileged sectors in our society.

With the allocation of an additional P500 million for the expansion of the program, the goal is to make funds available to expand Botika ng Bayan, or Botika ng Barangay, all over the country so that medicines commonly bought can be made available, accessible, and affordable to the poor.

The new fund for the program will be used for importing branded off-patent medicines and hasten the implementation and distribution of the half-priced medicines to all participating outlets.

As of January this year, a total of 1,016 outlets had been established, in addition to the 3,600 Botika ng Barangay across the country last year.

The local BFAD office in Dumaguete City said there are more than 100 drugstores operating in Negros Oriental, and yet, there are no applicants specifically for the program in the province. The local BFAD officer said even owners of existing drug stores may apply as Botika ng Bayan, provided they have existing valid documents and business permits. Perhaps lack of information on how to go about the application and fear of red tape in getting the requirements are discouraging our would-be applicants from applying.

We hope, however, that existing drug store owners will apply and be part of the network, and thereby be able to help sell at half-price the medicines commonly bought by our less fortunate countrymen. By doing this, they will also be helping them "ease their pain."*