Saturday, December 16, 2006 More botika sa barangay in N. Oriental eyed By Rachelle M. Nessia
THE Department of Health (DOH) in Region 7 is welcoming more applicants for Botika ng Barangay (BnB) in Negros Oriental as two more local government units signified their interest to put up BnBs in their communities.
Dr. Thelma Fernandez, BnB Regional Coordinator at the DOH-7 Local Health Assistance office in Cebu, said the local government units (LGUs) in the province have been responsive to government's call for the provision of low-cost but high quality medicines.
"But of course, we welcome more applicants for this program," said Fernandez.
Around 45 BnBs are now operating in the province within the Sta. Catalina-Bayawan-Basay (Sta. Bayabas) health district, Amlan, and Bindoy.
Fernandez disclosed that the Amlan LGU is eyeing to put up BnBs in five more barangays sometime next year.
Valencia town is also scheduled for a training next year.
According to Valencia Information Officer Des Tilos, the Municipal Government plans to put up a counterpart fund of half a million which will be used to finance the putting up of BnBs.
Valencia Mayor Rodolfo Gonzalez Jr. is receptive to the program, which aims to ensure accessibility of low-priced generic over-the-counter drugs in the communities.
"The mayor believes that this program poses livelihood opportunities for barangay residents here. This also part of his administration's thrust to provide livelihood support and assistance," Tilos explained.
From the P500,000 counterpart fund, interested BnB operators in Valencia, one in each barangay, will be provided with an interest-free loan to help set up the BnB.
Valencia has a total of 24 barangays.
Tilos said the municipal health board prefers to prioritize applicants who already own stores in the barangay.
It is up to the barangay captains to identify who would avail of the botika program.
The botika program is in line with the Generic Act of 1988 or AO 63, which prescribes to "ensure the adequate supply of drugs with generic names at the lowest possible cost.
Recently, the government's half-priced medicines program got a big boost with the signing of an agreement between Interphil Laboratories and the government on the manufacture and distribution of selected generic drugs in the country at the lowest possible costs.
Under the agreement, Interphil, the Zuellig Group's publicly traded contract pharmaceutical arm in the Philippines, will manufacture some 20 off-patent drugs as part of the President's commitment to cut the costs of selected drugs for the poor by some 50 percent.
The agreement covers an initial three-year period.
