Neri Colmenares calls for the government to first fix access to drugs from authorized sellers, this after the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) called on local government units to pass an ordinance banning the sale of drugs to sari-sari stores.
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año is pushing for this now that counterfeit drugs are spreading in small shops amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Under Section 30 of Republic Act 10918, only pharmacies and stores licensed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may sell drugs to the public.
“That is why sari-sari stores sell over-the-counter medicines for simple illnesses such as paracetamol and loperamide. They ensure that communities need not travel too far to seek basic medication,” said 2022 senatorial aspirant Neri Colmenares, Monday.
“In this light, the proposal of the Department of the Interior and Local Government to prohibit sari-sari store owners from selling medicines should go hand-in-hand with efforts to improve the public’s access to quality and affordable medicines.”
Colmenares questions proposed ban of medicines in sari-sari stores
Sen. Manny Pacquiao, who is running for the presidency, had earlier relented the DILG’s proposal. According to the senator, the government should understand that not everyone lives near a pharmacy.
In some places, it is said that the pharmacy is miles away, and not everyone has a car to go there, especially at night. It may be more expensive to pay the fare to go to the pharmacy, especially if you buy retail.
Nowadays, it is easy to buy retail medicine in the store. However, simple drugs such as paracetamol are a pack if sold in some pharmacies and convenience stores.
The militant Makabayan bloc first filed for the facilitation of access to medicines through the free healthcare law or House Bill 9515, a matter filed on May 29, 2021. Despite this, it has been pending with the Committee on Health for almost a year.
“Over-the-counter medicines, which are also known as nonprescription medicines, are medicines that you can buy without a prescription. They are safe and effective for ordinary ailments,” said Pacquiao.
The FDA on February 14 said it was getting up to 185 reports when it came to miscellaneous stores selling illegal drugs. Of that number, 78 were found guilty.
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