170 Botika ng Bayan established nationwide — DOH

Around 170 Botika ng Bayan outlets have been established nationwide as part of the administration’s commitment to providing access to medicines to the marginalized sector, the Department of Health (DOH) said Monday.

“A total of 170 Botika ng Bayan have already been established with a focus on the 4th to 5th class municipalities and to the geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas,” Health Undersecretary Charade Mercado-Grande said at a media forum.

Grande said the DOH is also implementing the Botika ng Bayani program, where outlets have been established in the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police for uniformed personnel and their dependents.

“Para sa mga unipormadong opisyang ang botika ng bayani. Ang programang ito ay may layunin na ang gawin ang mga botika ng bayan at mga botika na bayani ang mga pasilidad na pangkalusugan… ay makapagbahagi ng karagdagang libreng gamot sa mga Pilipino,” she said.

(The Botika ng Bayani is for uniformed officials. The program seeks to make the Botika ng Bayan and the Botika ng Bayani distribute free medicine to Filipinos.)

Grande said the program also seeks to improve service in primary healthcare facilities.

At present, Grande said there are 167 access sites nationwide — 54 in Luzon, 43  in the Visayas, and 70 in Mindanao.

“Ang BNB at ang BNBi ay masasabing isa sa mga pinakamaasahang programang pangkalusugan sa ngayon,” she said.

The Botika ng Barangay program was launched under the administration of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2001.

Grande said it was revived in 2018 under the name Botika ng Bayan. — Joahna Lei Casilao/RSJ, GMA News