‘Pambansang Botika’: An Opportunity We Must Not Waste
Only recently, the government announced the launch of Pambansang Botika at the Social Security System Diliman branch in Quezon City with the goal of improving access to quality and affordable medicines. Led by the state-owned Philippine Pharma Procurement, Inc. (PPPI), this initiative is the expansion of past government programs like Botika ng Bayan and Botika ng Barangay. It also offers business and livelihood opportunities to Filipinos through franchising.
But beyond affordability and accessibility, particularly for Filipinos living with long-term disease, this initiative raises two crucial questions from a pharmacist like me: Can Filipino pharmacists afford to become franchise owners? And can the Philippines reduce its dependence on imported medicines?
PPPI should consider discounted franchise fees for registered Filipino pharmacists, particularly first-time owners, and provide business training because not everyone is entrepreneurial. It could also explore special business loans for pharmacists with LandBank or the Social Security System, or coordinate with the Philippine Food and Drug Administration for discounted license to operate fees, especially for first-time botika franchisees.
Supporting pharmacists as entrepreneurs could create jobs and ensure that these pharmacies are service-driven rather than profit-driven. Sometimes, pharmacists cannot provide better healthcare services because their non-pharmacist owners impose impossible daily quotas to meet.
The government should take this seriously because one of the reasons the previous Botika ng Bayan and Botika ng Barangay did not work is the lack of supervising pharmacists. Filipino pharmacists must also be prepared for the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI) in health care, making sure that AI supports rather than replaces professional judgment and patient care.
Pambansang Botika offers both locally manufactured and imported medicines from nations like China and India. While international sourcing can reduce drug costs, it also reflects the country’s dependence on foreign pharmaceutical supplies. In reality, even locally manufactured medicines may rely on imported ingredients.
If another pandemic or global crisis occurs, this could disrupt international trade: medicine shortages, shipping delays, and higher prices. The Philippines must strengthen its domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity.
Government programs must be sustainable and must outlast politics. While the name Pambansang Botika is also referred to as “Botika at Bakuna para sa Mamamayan,” which echoes the initials of the sitting president, affordable medicines should not be partisan.
If government employees are required to be nonpartisan, so should government projects. When administrations change, renaming programs means spending public funds on restructuring and new promotional materials like new signage that could otherwise support essential health-care services. A program that Juan dela Cruz needs should be anchored in law and continuity. It must serve the Filipino people, regardless of who sits in Malacañang.
Pambansang Botika deserves recognition, but its long-term success will depend on its resilience. I hope this will not fall into the same fate as Botika ng Bayan and Botika ng Barangay that faltered through severe logistical bottlenecks, lack of supervising pharmacists, and shifting priorities between political administrations.
TERESA MAY BANDIOLA,
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