CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- “The war against dangerous drugs is not only on the streets, but also inside the walls of pharmacies that illegally dispense dangerous narcotics to public.”
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Region Central Luzon Director Joseph Ladip warned the pharmacy owners after the agency discovered that several drugstores in the region are illegally distributing psychotropic and narcotic drugs to drug dependents.
Recently, PDEA Central Luzon conducted a simultaneous raid on four drug stores in Cabanatuan City after allegedly selling dangerous drugs, particularly Diazepam (Valium) and Nalbuphine Hydrochloride, without medical prescription. The said drugs are used as pain killers but has hypnotic effect when use excessively.
Ladip said that purchase of the said drugs, along with the other dangerous narcotics identified in the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, must be accompanied by medical prescription.
Drugstores distributing them must secure permit from the PDEA, he added.
“Itong mga drugs na ito, although may medical use, ay madalas inaabuso dahil sa sedative effects niya. Imagine, binebenta sila ng around P25.00 for a 10 mg tablet lang tapos ang tama nito sa mga drug dependents can last up to three days kaya talagang binibili siya ng mga tao. At ito ay pwedeng mabili sa mga botika lang, kaya kung hindi mareregulate ay baka maging mas talamak pa ito sa shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride),” he said.
(These drugs, though they have medical use, are frequently abused because of its sedative effects. Imagine, they sell it at P25.00 for a 10 mg tablet and it can last up to three days for drug dependents. That is why people buy this. You can even buy these in drugstores. If this will not be regulated, its effects may be worse than shabu)
Ladip added a PDEA team raided four drugstores in the region selling dangerous drugs.
He said the agency will continue to heighten its monitoring of pharmaceuticals and business establishments engaged in such activities.
“Now that we know and have proven na may ganitong activities nga na nangyayari, we will put more focus to stop its proliferation immediately,” he said. "Information dissemination activities are set to educate the public on the ill effects of such drugs."
Ladip stressed that the illegal distribution of Diazepam and Nalbuphine Hydrochloride is equivalent to peddling shabu and marijuana which is penalized with life imprisonment with no bail.
“PDEA’s role is not only limited to arresting users of shabu, marijuana and other know illegal drugs. We are also tasked to regulate the dangerous narcotics that are made available to public through drugstores. Hindi dahil available sila sa mga botika ay legal na at pwedeng i-abuse. Kaya ang PDEA ay nagtatrabaho ngayon para maiwasan ito,” he said.
(It doesn’t mean that since this is available in drugstores this is already legal and we can abuse this. That is why PDEA is working (against this) on it to avoid abuse.)