The Department of Health in Calabarzon yesterday opened the second Botika ng Bayan marked by the signing of the memorandum of agreement by the regional office and the local government of Mauban, Quezon held at the municipal hall.
The first BnB launched was launched at the municipality of San Pascual in Laguna. Calabarzon is the sixth region that began implementing the BnB program in partnership with the local government units. “The establishment of BnB is included in the Universal Health Care. We are just moving forward to realize our programs to immediately give help for the health of our countrymen,” said DOH Regional Director Eduardo C. Janairo.
“Like what President Duterte said, let us not further burden the sick especially in looking and buying their medicines and to address their needs for maintenance medicines. Because we can get all these medicines from the Botika ng Bayan. Only the doctor’s prescription is needed,” he emphasized.
The rebirth of the BNB Program is one of the government’s trust to provide free essential medicines for common diseases in the community targeting indigents and the marginalized sectors of the population with the objective of providing all the 2,600 rural health units and other government centers to have Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-licensed BnB outlets that will offer quality outpatient pharmacy services by 2022.
According to Helen C. Jariel, Pharmacist III and BnB Regional Coordinator, the program was launched in 2001 and was provisionally stopped by DOH in 2011 to address issues on the lack of supervising pharmacists and an effective supply chain that could assure the constant availability of quality generic medicines in some 16,000 government-run community pharmacists established between 2001 to 2010.
She said that under the new BnB program, more essential medicines will be available such as those for common diseases in the community, cough and cold, influenza, skin infections, asthma and chronic non-communicable diseases including mental health medicines.
Among the medicines in the BnB consist of paracetamol, antibiotics, topical ointments, anti-thrombotic, anti-inflammatory, antihyperlipidemic, anthelmintic, oral hypoglycemic, vitamins, micronutrients, antacids and other essential drugs for asthma, hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidemia even for family planning.
“Palalawigin pa natin itong BnB program sa ating regiyon at maglalagay din tayo ng mga traditional complimentary alternative medicines gaya ng mga “turmeric”, “serpentina”, “ginko biloba” at mga halamang gamut na nilagay sa mga tableta at capsule, ditto natin lahat ipapasok sa botika ng bayan,” he added.