BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO and GLENDA TAYONA
ILOILO City – Sari-sari stores are not pharmacies, thus they are not authorized to sell medicines. Police forces are ready to run after the violators, according to the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6).
Following reports on the proliferation of fake medicines in small retail stores, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary Eduardo Año urged local government units (LGUs) to enact ordinances banning the sale of medicines in sari-sari stores nationwide.
Año also directed the Philippine National Police (PNP) to arrest those who persist in selling medicines, especially fake ones, despite the lack of authority from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to sell them.
PRO-6 spokesperson Police Lieutenant Colonel Arnel Solis said the regional police office will mobilize police forces for this mission as soon as it receives an order from Camp Crame, the PNP national headquarters.
Under Section 30 of Republic Act (RA) No. 10918 otherwise known as the Philippine Pharmacy Act, only Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-licensed retail drug outlets or pharmacies are allowed to sell drugs and medicine to the consuming public.
“LGUs should protect the health and general welfare of their constituents. We, therefore, urge LGUs to ensure that sari-sari stores within their jurisdictions are not selling any medicine because under the law, hindi sila autorisado,” Año said.
“Inatasan din natin ang PNP na siguruhing hindi nagbebenta ng gamot ang mga sari-sari store at arestuhin ang sumusuway sa batas lalo na iyong mga naglalako ng pekeng gamot,” he added.
Councilor Ely Estante here, however, said the better step is to run after the manufacturers of fake medicines, not the lowly sari-sari stores.
The chairman of the Sangguniang Panlungsod’s committee on public services, environmental protection and ecology said there is one good thing about making over-the-counter medicines accessible in sari-sari stores – there is no need for people in far-flung barangays to go to pharmacies in the town proper or in the city.
“Ang problema ang manufacturers sang fake medicines. Dapat ang botika sekyaron man nila, indi nga ang sari-sari stores lang…Saramahon na lang nila,” said Estante.
During the weekly “Talk to the People” of President Rodrigo Duterte on PTV4 on Feb. 14, the FDA reported that from Jan. 13 to Feb. 11, they received 185 reports on sari-sari stores that were illegally selling medicines, in which 78 were confirmed to be guilty. Of this number, nine stores were retailing fake medicines including COVID medicines.
With this, the FDA requested the DILG to urge all LGUs to pass ordinances to ban sari-sari stores from selling medicines.
Año expressed support to the FDA and said the DILG will work hand-in-hand with them in issuing a Memorandum Circular (MC) to LGUs for them to discontinue the sale of medicines at the level of sari-sari stores and other outlets without FDA authorization.
“Sisiguraduhin natin na aaksyunan ito ng ating mga LGUs at ng ating kapulisan dahil kalusugan at kapakanan ng ating mga kababayan ang nakataya rito,” he said.
Meanwhile, DILG Undersecretary and Spokesperson Jonathan Malaya called on the public to buy medicines only in drug stores and pharmacies that have been authorized to sell medicines.
“Nakakatakot at delikado ang fake medicines, lalo’t nasa gitna pa rin tayo ng pandemya. Kaya naman nais kong bigyang-diin na kapag bibili tayo ng kahit anong medisina, napakaimportante na doon lamang tayo sa tiyak na mula sa legal manufacturers,” he added.
“Mere possession of counterfeit drugs is a punishable act under the law. We only want what’s best and safe for the public,” he said.
RA No. 8203 or the Special Law on Counterfeit Drugs provides that those possessing fake medicines face imprisonment of not less than six months and one day./PN
