CITING provisions of Republic Act (RA) 11534, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has delisted several coronavirus disease (Covid-19) medicines and medical devices from the list of health products exempted from Value-Added Tax (VAT).
In its Advisory 2024-0498, the FDA said Covid-19 medicines and medical devices will no longer be among VAT-exempt health products.
"It is stated in Section 12 of RA No. 11534 that VAT-Exemption of Medical Device, Drugs, and Vaccine prescribed and directly used for Covid-19 treatment shall be valid until 31 December 2023," said the FDA.
"In line with this, the following are hereby delisted from the List of VAT-Exempt Health Products," it added.
Among Covid-19 medicines, delisted are Acetated Ringer’s, Arbidol Hydrochloride, Aspirin, Atracurium, Azelastine Hydrochloride + Fluticasone Propionate, Balanced Multiple Maintenance Solution + 5% Dextrose, Baricitinib, Beclometasone dipropionate + Formoterol fumarate dihydrate, Beclomethasone, Beclomethasone + Formoterol + Glycopyrronium, Bivalirudin, Budesonide, Budesonide / Formoterol Fumarate Dihydrate, Casirivimab + Imdevimab, Cefotaxime (As Sodium), Clonazepam, and Clopidogrel.
Also removed from VAT-Exempt products are ChAdOx1-S [recombinant] (Covid-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca), Covid-19 mRNA Vaccine (nucleoside modified) [Covid-19 Vaccine Moderna], Covid-19 Vaccine (Vero Cell) Inactivated [Covid-19 Vaccine Sinopharm], Covid-19 Vaccine (Vero Cell), Inactivated [Covid-19 Vaccine Sinopharm (Beijing)], Covid-19 Vaccine (Vero Cell), Inactivated [Covid-19 Vaccine Sinopharm (Wuhan)], Janssen Covid-19 Vaccine (Ad26.COV2-S (recombinant)), and Covid-19 Vaccine SARS-CoV-2 rS Protein Nanoparticle Vaccine (Covovax).
The FDA said Dexamethasone, Diazepam, Dobutamine, Dopamine in 5% Dextrose, Enoxaparin, Epinephrine, Favipiravir, Fentanyl, Fluticasone + Formoterol, Fluticasone Propionate, Haloperidol, Heparin, Itolizumab, Ivermectin, Sodium Chloride, Tocilizumab, Ketamine, Midazolam, Molnupiravir, and Molnupiravir are also among those delisted.
As for medical devices delisted, included are gloves, gowns including aprons, coveralls, body suits, face masks including N95 masks, KN95 masks, cloth/fabric masks, goggles, ventilator, bacterial filter for breathing circuit, tubing and support set for ventilator, resuscitator, high-flow respiratory device/system, and oxygen mask.
Also no longer exempted from VAT are High Efficiency Particulate Air (Hepa) filter, nebulizing kit and nebulizer, clinical thermometer, dressing/gauze, nasopharyngeal airway, syringe, pulse oximeter including portable and fingertip, Negative-Pressure SteriDome (NPS), intermittent positive pressure breathing device, and inhalation sedation equipment.
A complete list of delisted medicines and medical devices are posted in the FDA website. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)