Medicines consignment system for Iloilo hospitals approved

TO ASSURE availability of medicines in all district hospitals pharmacies, the Provincial Bard recently passed an ordinance institutionalizing the hospitals consignment in Iloilo province.

The ordinance, sponsored by Board Member Macario N. Napulan, Committee on Health and Sanitation chief, covers the Iloilo Provincial Hospital and 11 district hospitals.

Under the ordinance, consigned goods or items include drugs, medicines, supplies, laboratory equipment, reagents and other items which the consignor delivers to the consignee under the consignment system.

Accreditation of suppliers, manufacturers and consignors of the said items to be consigned will be undertaken by the Hospital Consignment Board. However, once the suppliers, manufacturers and dealers are previously accredited by the Provincial Hospital Consignment Management Board and presently participating in the procurement process, they will be considered as accredited suppliers, manufacturers and dealers.

Consigned items will be based on the submitted list of items from the therapeutic committees and other service areas (laboratory, radiology, laundry and admin) of the hospitals and from concerned offices and divisions of Hospital Management Office.

In cases of consignments for Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) beneficiaries, the selling price of the consignment items should not be higher than the prevailing price of the same items in local private pharmacies and outlets.

Income generated sales of the consigned items should be used for the payment of dispenses or utilized consigned items after conducting an inventory. In addition, revenue generated from the program should be deposited directly to the hospital general fund.

For quality assurance, the consignment items may be subjected to random sampling, inspection and testing by the consignee and other appropriate support agencies. (PR)