The Davao City Government continues to provide free medicines to Dabawenyos through its 14 Botika ng Bayan outlets in the district health offices and other specified areas.
Botika ng Bayan Head Gemma Pujanes, during the I-Speak Media forum on Thursday, said a huge number of clients avail mainly of maintenance medicines, antibiotics, and vitamins through their facilities.
“Daghan gyud kaayo tag kliyente since we cater also to private reseta and consultations, daghan gyud ang mga pasyente nga nag-avail sa atong mga tambal sa Botika ng Bayan (We have many clients and we also cater to prescriptions from private consultations, many patients avail of medicines from the Botika ng Bayan),” Pujanes said.
She said that from the first Botika ng Bayan established in 2018 at the Southern Philippines Medical Center Malasakit Center, the city now has 12 BNBs located in the CHO district satellite offices in Agdao, Buhangin, Calinan, District A (Claudio), District B (El Rio), District D (Jacinto), Marilog, Paquibato, Sasa, Toril-A (Proper), Toril B (Daliao). Another BNB is also located at the CHO Main.
She added that the BNBs are being run by pharmacists who ensure the quality of medicines and ensure minimal wastage.
“Mao na siya ang kagwapo sa Botika ng Bayan, when we say man gud og Botika ng Bayan, it is already manned by a pharmacist compared to before na wala pata’y Botika ng Bayan ang mga medisina nato sa health centers gina-manage sa nurses and midwives. Of course, naa pud na silay ilahang task na kinahanglan nila atimanon and ang pag manage sa tambal secondary nalang na siya and dili na ma focus kaayo. Since nagsulod ang pharmacists sa Botika ng Bayan ang management sa tambal, I won’t say zero but na minimize ang wastage sa tambal (What is good in having the Botika ng Bayan is it is manned by pharmacists now, compared to when medicines were managed by the nurses and midwives at the health centers. Of course, they have their individual tasks that need attention and the management of the medicines is just secondary, they can’t focus. Since the pharmacists came in, the aspect of the management of medicines, I won’t say that it is zero, but the wastage of medicines is really minimal),” Pujanes said, adding that the pharmacists closely coordinate with one another, especially on the availability of medicines.
“We exchange stocks gyud sa health centers and other facilities, that is how we manage expiring medicines (We exchange stocks between health centers and other facilities, that is how we manage expiring medicines),” she said.
Since it is the beginning of the year and the start of the procurement process, they do not have stock of some medicines yet, however, they make sure that essential medicines are on hand. As for the medicines they ensure its quality before release to the public.
Pujanes said that in providing medicines, the amount they distribute varies.
“Pag mga maintenance medicines we give the equivalent of a one-month nga supply sa mga medicines and then ang validity sa ilahang prescriptions is three months. Pero kung antibiotic na siya seven days lang ang validity sa atoang prescription, and then i-full dose, we don’t give partial sa antibiotics to prevent antimicrobial resistance (If it is maintenance medicines, we give the equivalent of a month’s supply of the medicines, and then the validity of their prescriptions is for three months. But for antibiotics, the validity of our prescription is only seven days, and we also give them the full dose, we don’t give partial [doses] to prevent anti-microbial resistance),”she added.
Pujanes reminded Dabawenyos to avail of the Botika ng Bayan services.
“Sa tanan mga Dabawenyos gusto nako ipahibalo nga duna kita’y Botika ng Bayan kung asa kita pwede maka-avail og libreng tambal. Para maka-avail kamo og libreng tambal kinahanglan mag-present kamo og updated nga reseta, ID sa pasyente, kung dili ang pasyente ang mag-claim, ID sa mag claim nga kapamilya. Ato ning i-avail nga pribilihiyo kay dili tanang lugar sa Pilipinas naay ingon ani (To all Dabawenyos, we would like to inform you that we have Botika ng Bayan where you can avail of free medicines. To avail of these, you need to present an updated prescription, ID of the patient or ID of the family member claiming the medicines. We should avail of these because it is a privilege that is not available in some areas in the Philippines),” Pujanes said.
The Botika ng Bayan branches are open from 8 a.m to 5 p.m., from Monday to Friday. CIO
