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Friday, September 12, 2003
Drugstore owners face charges for fake drugs
By Christie Enriquez-Uayan
THE Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) central office in Manila is set to file administrative and criminal charges against the owners of Davao Medica Distributor and Retailer (DMDR), BFAD 11 legal officer Gil Cawad said Thursday.
In an interview, Cawad said the criminal charges will be forwarded by the agency to the Department of Justice (DOJ) while the administrative charges will be handled by the Bfad head office.
"Our lab analysis confirmed that those confiscated from DMDR were counterfeit bacause they only contain about 80 percent of active ingredients," Cawad said in a telephone interview.
He cited that these are already considered artificial medicines, as stated by RA 8203, otherwise known as the Special Law on Counterfeit Drugs.
Once the complaint is forwarded by the BFAD to the DOJ, Cawad said the Justice Department would immediately issue a preventive closure order to stop DMDR's operations in the city.
A total of 68 boxes of counterfeit medicines believed to be worth millions of pesos, and with brand names Tempra, Calpol, Ventolin, Robitussin, Ceporex, Disudrin, Betet ointement and herbal tea, were confiscated by the authorities from the six branches of DMDR.
DMDR's main branch located at Sta. Ana Avenue corner F. Bangoy Street was raided Saturday by a team from the Department of Health (DOH) 11, Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) 11, and elements of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) under the supervision of Atty. Ireneo Galicia, Chief of the Legal Information and Compliance Division of BFAD central office.
DMDR's other branches are located in Catalunan Grande, Jacinto corner Mapa and Palma Gil corner Sobrecary Streets, Bo. Obrero and at Lourdes T. Building in Toril, Davao City, respectively.
Raiding teams simultaneously raided DMDR's six branches at around 9:05 a.m. DMDR is allegedly owned by Jee A. Ayuste and Araceli P. Benito.
Among the five registered pharmacists employed by the DMDR were identified as Joyen Manansala, Lafonsia Ancia, Gina Maranan, Lilibeth Rancho and Anna Marichu Estaca.
The fake drugs and medicines allegedly came from various suppliers in Metro Manila and distributed in Davao City.
Cawad said they have yet to identify the manufacturers of these fake medicines.
(September 12, 2003 issue) |
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