Stand-alone pharmacy at CHIO pushed

THE City Council committee on health, nutrition, and health insurance, chaired by Councilor Maria Lourdes S. Gaane, recently deliberated on the proposal seeking the passage of an ordinance authorizing the establishment of a stand-alone pharmacy at the City Health Insurance Office (CHIO).

During the committee meeting held three days ago, Ms. Marga M. Reyes, a CHIO representative, provided background on its operations, stating that since its inception in 2013, CHIO has functioned as a dedicated insurance office in partnership with PhilHealth Region 10. Ms. Reyes emphasized that, for 11 years, CHIO has been distributing free medicines as part of its services.

“With this, we seek an ordinance so that ma-authorized mi for the creation of the stand-alone pharmacy, since gahatag naman sad mi’g medicines over the years. This is also part of the PhilHealth program,” she explained.

PhilHealth’s new accreditation for pharmacies

Dr. Francis A. Ramos, from PhilHealth Region 10, discussed the new accreditation type under the PhilHealth GAMOT (Guaranteed Access to Medications for Outpatient Treatment) program, as outlined in PhilHealth Circular No. 2023-0029. This program allows PhilHealth to accredit FDA-certified pharmacies to provide subsidized medicines.

“Under this program, PhilHealth can now cover the cost of medicines acquired from accredited pharmacies. We have identified 53 commonly prescribed medicines based on doctors’ prescriptions. The budget allocation is P9,000 per individual per year, covering maintenance and acute illness medications,” Dr. Ramos stated.

However, the representative pointed out that accreditation under the GAMOT program is highly restrictive, as it is only available to pharmacies associated with accredited healthcare providers.

While CHIO is preparing for the accreditation, the process requires time and adherence to regulatory standards. PhilHealth Region 10 reiterated its openness to applications, ensuring that the benefits of the program reach the public effectively.

“The 53 identified medicines are the minimum requirement. The range of available medications depends on the pharmacy’s FDA certification, which typically includes thousands of medicines. However, the priority medications are determined by the healthcare provider’s needs,” the PhilHealth official added.

Next steps for CHIO

Following discussions, Councilor Gaane advised CHIO to secure a resolution from the City Health Board before formally requesting an ordinance.

“Kay dili pwede na mangayo lang mo diretso og ordinance for this. Dapat iapil sa na ninyo sa meeting sa City Health Board ayha nato ma-tackle diri sa committee,” she clarified.

The committee awaits CHIO’s compliance with this procedural requirement before proceeding with further deliberations on the proposal.