Philippine Star – September 15, 2007

Commonly used medicines are cheaper by at least 50 percent in the more than 10,000 government-run Botika ng Barangay stores throughout the country than in private drugstores, ac¬cording to the Department of Health (DOH).

A DOH report submitted to the House committee on trade and indus¬try chaired by Palawan Rep. Antonio Alvarez showed that Plendil, an anti¬hypertension drug, is selling at Botika outlets for P14.35 per 2.5-milligram tablet, 52 percent off its normal price. Lasix, a cardiovascular drug, sells for P4.80 per 40-milligram (mg) tablet, while other drugstores are selling it at P9.90.

Botika units sell Bactrim, which is used to treat infections, at P8.95 per 80¬mg tablet, 50 percent off its normal price.

Two popular painkillers, Gardan 500 and Ponstan 500, sell for P6 and P11.25 in Botika stores, compared to their P19.25 and P25.50 market prices.

It is the DOH that establishes Boti¬ka ng Barangay drugstores, which is turned over to barangay communities and people's organizations to manage.

The department plans to spend P98 million next year to set up an addition¬aI3,913 outlets to boost its Botika chain to 13,414 stores.

The DOH spends P25,000 to stock up a Botika with at least 30 commonly used drugs. Alvarez urged the depart¬ment and lawmakers to spend more money for the establishment of more Botika stores to make affordable med¬icines available to the people.

He said in the case of Plendil, Boti¬kas sold about half a million tablets be¬tween January and July this year.

Since the drug sells for less than half its price in profit-driven drugstores, its users have saved P12 million for the seven-month period, he said.

"For the war for cheaper medicines to be won, it must be waged in the grassroots, and the Botika stores are the forward detachments of this just war," he said.

He urged the House to increase the DOH's Botika budget of P98 million in 2008 to P150 million so that at least 6,000 new stores, instead of 3,913, could be opened.

The Alvarez committee is consider¬ing several bills that aim to bring down the cost of medicines.

One measure authorizes the state¬owned Philippine International Trad¬ing Corp. to increase its drug importa¬tions from India and Pakistan, where the same drugs available here, its drugs sell 30 percent to 50 percent cheaper. – Jess Diaz