Hasten establishment of more "Botika ng Barangay" -- Recto

Senator Ralph Recto today hailed the establishment of "Botika ng Barangay" (BnB) and urged to hasten the construction of more BnBs for the benefit of more Filipino people, especially the poor.

"More of these drugstores that carry 21 over-the-counter medicines for common illnesses at less cost are definitely needed because it is a fact of life that people get sick," Recto said.

"Hindi mo maipagbabawal ang magkasakit, pero mababawasan ang dinaramdam kapag ang gamot ay may mura kang agad na mabibilhan," he added.

In the year 2005, 2,232 BnBs were established at the cost of P25,000 each. As of Dec. 31, 2006, there are already 5,688 standing and functional BnBs.

Citing a Department of Health (DOH) report, Recto said, "2,400 more BnBs are about to be constructed with a budget of P120 M as part of the government's efforts to ensure the availability of low-priced, quality drugs to the people, particularly the financially-challenged."

The establishment of BnBs is a joint undertaking of the DOH and the Philippine International Trading Corporation (PITC). BnBs sell medicines of the same quality at half the price to cater to the poor.

Recto said that the Philippines is among the countries where 30 percent of the population have no regular access to essential medicine, according to The World Drug Situation released by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2000.

"It's definitely relieving that something has been done and the people behind the establishment of BnBs definitely deserve to be praised. But, as always, something more can still be done. We still live in a country where many people never get to see a doctor in their lives, and that is pitiful, unnerving fact," the legislator lamented

The senator added that based on 2004 statistics, the Philippine pharmaceutical market is an P80-100 billion industry, and annual growth rate of drugstore sales is at 14 percent. Branded-medicines sales comprise 97 percent and generic drugs account for a meager 3 percent.

"Generic drugs are lower priced, but branded medicines sell more because the people who can afford to medicate themselves buy them simply because they can, and they believe they are more effective. Still, look at the price of Norvasc, which is sold in India under the brand name Amlogard. In Philippine pesos, Amlogard sells at P6.00 each, while Norvasc is pegged at a mind-boggling P39.07," Recto stressed.

"It's high time that we get 'low' on drugs, low-priced and with little effort to buy. It is my hope that soon, BnBs will be in most street corners, like convenience stores, serving us 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to sell affordable medicines even for illnesses like that of First Gentleman Mike Arroyo," the senator said.