Go to pharmacies: Obey DOH, FDA orders on seniors’ privilege

Councilor Gilda O. Go, chair of the City Council committee on senior citizens, has reiterated the appeal of the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) Head Capt. Douglas W. Dabatian, calling on all pharmacy and drugstore owners and operators to strictly comply with Department of Health (DOH) Administrative Order No. 2024-0017 and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Circular No. 2025-005.

These issuances formally remove the requirement for senior citizens to present a purchase booklet to avail themselves of the 20% discount on medicines and other medical supplies.

The reminder came after Dabatian appeared in an interview with the City Information Office (CIO) yesterday and emphasized the need to fully implement the updated guidelines.

Under the new rules, senior citizens need only present a doctor’s prescription together with their Senior Citizen ID or any valid government-issued ID showing they are Filipino citizens aged 60 and above to receive their discount.

Go further noted that the FDA circular applies to all FDA-licensed establishments dispensing medicines and medical devices.

This includes pharmaceutical outlets, drugstores, community and institutional pharmacies, boticas, retail outlets for non-prescription drugs, medical device retailers, and optical establishments selling products covered under Item V.6 of Administrative Order No. 2012-0007. (JAO/SP/Photo from CIO FB Page)