Non-profit organization Go Negosyo and the Department of Health (DOH) are looking to revive the Botika sa Barangay program which aims to build drug outlets in villages that offer cheap medicines.

Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion said that he and DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa have recently discussed several possible initiatives that could bring together entrepreneurship training and health services to benefit more Filipinos across the country.

According to Concepcion, they explored how entrepreneurship training can help revive the Botika sa Barangay program.

“We are finding ways to revisit the mechanism of the Botika ng Barangay program to help bring cheaper medicines to smaller communities by training the outlets in how to become more effective retailers,” said Concepcion.

Under the Botika ng Barangay program, local government units (LGUs) help a committee or an organization build a drug outlet in the barangay, which will serve as an authorized drugstore where people can buy cheaper medicines.

It was launched in 2001 and revived in 2018 under the name Botika ng Bayan. The program was to support RA 10918, also known as the Philippine Pharmacy Act, allowing only Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-licensed retail drug outlets or pharmacies to sell medicines to the public.

The program, however, faced logistical problems and a lack of retail training among the stores chosen to become authorized community outlets for over-the-counter medicines.

Concepcion said that it is certain that the DOH will assist in offering free medical services at Go Negosyo’s public entrepreneurship events.

“Sec. Herbosa and I have been working together since the Covid pandemic response, and more recently at the First Lady’s LAB for All social and medical services caravan,” he said.

“I believe there are more cooperative projects we can explore that align with the administration’s goal of bringing services closer to people,” he added.