To help poor patients buy meds in private drug stores

INDIGENT patients may soon obtain prescription drugs from private pharmacies without charge if the government—through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)—considers a proposal from a lady lawmaker.

House Deputy Minority Leader Bernadette Herrera is prodding the DSWD to enter into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with private drug stores nationwide so indigent patients can buy prescription medicines using guarantee letters from the agency under its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) program.

Herrera said her proposal drew inspiration from her experience as a young Quezon City councilor in 2004 when she signed an MOA with DSWD and Mercury Drug for the indigent patients from her district, to buy prescription drugs using even her own personal money.

She also recalled having Mercury Drug enter into MOA with some members of Congress, which was actually her brainchild in the mid-2000s, thus helping a significant number of indigent patients in Quezon City.

“Sabi ko sa DSWD, sana maibalik ang pag-MOA nila not just with Mercury Drug but also with other drug stores na puwede ang guarantee letter,” Herrera said in an interview with radio DZRH on Sunday.

Herrera expressed the belief that her proposal is doable and that it would help a lot of people considering that most government hospitals are lacking prescription drugs, especially those that are proven to be highly effective.

“Kasi ang problema kahit mag-issue ng guarantee letter sa government hospital wala namang gamot dun. Hindi masyadong efficient ang pharmacies ng government hospitals,” Herrera pointed out.

“So if the private drug stores have it, sana makapag-issue na rin ng guarantee letter doon para matulungan ang mga kababayan natin,” she added.

During the House deliberation on the proposed 2023 budget of the Department of Health (DOH) earlier this month, Herrera disclosed that she was working on a bill that would institutionalize the use of guarantee letters by indigent patients in private hospitals during emergency situations.

It will be recalled that former DOH Sec. Francisco Duque III, upon Herrera’s prodding, issued a memorandum order allowing indigent patients to present guarantee letters to private hospitals that have existing MOA with DOH and DSWD.

A guarantee letter is an assurance of payment offered by DOH, DSWD, and other concerned government agencies and institutions, including Congress, on behalf of a patient, for the portion of the hospital bill.

Herrera said an administrative order is not enough that’s why she would push for the passage of a law institutionalizing government medical assistance in private hospitals.