If Bagong Henerasyon (BH) Party-list Rep. Bernadette Herrera would have her way, indigent patients would be able to obtain free medicines from private drug stores through the use of guarantee letters.
In this regard, Herrera, a House deputy minority leader, is prodding the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to enter into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with private drug stores nationwide so that poor Filipinos could acquire prescription medicines using guarantee letters from the agency under its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) program.
She said her proposal draws inspiration from her experience as a young Quezon City councilor in 2004 when she signed a MOA with DSWD and a popular drug store chain for the availment by indigent patients from her district of prescription drugs bought using even her own personal money.
Herrera also recalled having the same drug store enter into MOA with some members of Congress, which ended up 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 pwede ang guarantee letter (I asked the DSWD to bring back its MOA not only with Mercury Drug but also with other drug stores that accept guarantee letters),” the veteran lawmaker said in an interview over DZRH on Sunday, Sept. 25.
Herrera believes 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 (The problem is, even if you issue guarantee letters to a government hospital, most of the time they done have the medicine. The pharmacies of government hospitals aren't that efficient),” 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 (hopefully guarantee letters could be issued to them in order to help our countrymen),” she added.