PGMA pushes expansion of Botika ng Barangay outlets
Roxas City -- President Gloria Mcapagal-Arroyo wants more community-based drugstores in 2008 that will sell quality but affordable medicines as part of her efforts to make the gains made under her administration trickle down to the grassroots.
The President also issued several directives intended to ensure that the people, especially the poor, enjoy easy access to cheap quality medicines.
She said the expansion of the coverage of the government's half-priced medicines project is in anticipation of the passage by Congress of the Affordable Medicine Bill and the active participation of the private sector and the local government units (LGUs) in the pharmaceutical trade with India.
"Our massive spending on health care includes importing pharmaceuticals from India as part of our program to cut in half the price of medicines commonly bought by the poor," she said.
She explained that although the main importer of medicines from India is the government-owed Philippine International Trading Corporation, PITC need not be the exclusive agent.
For this reason, she had invited private drugstore owners, traders and LGUs interested in linking up with India's pharmaceutical companies to join her entourage, the President said upon her arrival from a highly successful five-day visit to China and India.
The Chief Executive also voiced support for the proposal of Congressman Antonio Alvarez, chairman of the House Committee on Trade and Industry, to make Botika ng Barangays (BnBs) the country's fastest growing drugstore network.
Alvarez is seeking an increase of the allocation for the BnBs branch expansion program from this year's P98 million to P150 million in 2008.
"That augmentation would increase the number of Botika outlets to be established next year to 6,000 from the planned 3,913," the President said.
"The common man's access to quality affordable medicine can only be made possible if BnBs are spread throughout the land," she added.
She stressed that medicines for common illnesses must not only be affordable but also accessible.
"And there is no better way to guarantee the latter than by letting the people themselves own and run their own pharmacies," she said.
The President pointed out that BnB is just one in the constellation of government-owned dispensaries as there are also privately-owned but state-supplied Botika ng Bayans. There are now 1,481 of these outlets nationwide, she added. (PIA/A. Lumaque)