Senator Raffy Tulfo has filed a resolution seeking to investigate the alleged billions worth of expired, nearly expired and unutilized medicines and vaccines procured by the Department of Health (DOH) from 2018 to 2024.

Senator Raffy Tulfo (Senate PRIB photo)

Tulfo, in filing Senate Resolution No. 403, is referring to the Commission on Audit’s (COA) findings on these said allegations, saying it is necessary to ensure accountability among officials responsible for the mismanagement of medicine stocks.

Moreover, the senator underscored the need to strengthen the DOH’s procurement, inventory and medicine distribution system which the COA has repeatedly flagged.

Tulfo lamented that the recurring pattern of wastage involving medicines, vaccines and medical supplies procured by the DOH amounted to hundreds to billions of pesos in losses over the years.

“While millions of marginalized Filipinos continue to face difficulties in accessing free vitamin supplements and maintenance medicines for conditions such as diabetes and hypertension in barangay health centers and public hospitals, medicines and medical supplies procured using public funds are reportedly being left to expire in DOH warehouses and health facilities rather than reaching their intended beneficiaries,” Tulfo said in the explanatory note of the resolution.

“Any personality, whether from the DOH or other government agencies or private individuals who are complicit in the wastage of medicines in the agency's warehouses, must be charged, dismissed from duty, and punished with imprisonment,” the senator said in a statement.

According to Tulfo, he filed the resolution and raised the issue again after consistently receiving complaints on his program particularly from patients complaining about lack of medicines in public hospitals or barangay health centers. 

Based on COA findings, he said the DOH wasted ₱18.5 billion from 2015 to 2018, ₱2.2 billion in 2019, ₱95 million in 2020, ₱85 million ni 2021, ₱7.4 billion in 2022, ₱11.18 billion in 2023, and ₱134 million in 2024 worth of medicines, vaccines and medical supplies.

Moreover, the COA also found in its 2024 audit report that around ₱34.8 million worth of drugs, medicines and other medical inventories had already expired, while another ₱99.5 million worth were about to expire due to deficiencies in inventory management that affected procurement planning, distribution and monitoring.

In its report, the COA stated that overstocking led to products expiring, resulting in wasted resources that could have benefited health services, particularly in low-income regions.

“Medicines continue to be among the largest out-of-pocket healthcare costs of Filipino families; thus, it is necessary to conduct an inquiry in order to determine accountability, identify the responsible officials, and address systemic weaknesses within the DOH that have allowed the continued wastage, overstocking and non-utilization of publicly funded medicines and medical supplies,” Tulfo stated in the resolution.

“Now, therefore, be it resolved, as it is hereby resolved by the Senate, to direct the appropriate Senate Committee to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, into the reported billions of pesos worth of expired and unused medicines and vaccines under the DOH, with the end view of identifying responsible officials, imposing necessary sanctions, and institutionalizing reforms to the country's health procurement, inventory, and distribution systems,” he said.