City, 11 barangays ink pact on the purchase of medicines for elderly, indigents

Mayor Benjamin Magalong, representing the city government of Baguio, entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), Sept. 15, with 11 of the Summer Capital’s barangays on the purchase of maintenance medicines and other medicinal and wellness needs for senior citizens and indigents.

These barangays are Pinsao Proper, Pinget, Guisad Central, Pinsao Pilot Project, San Luis, South Drive, Manuel Roxas, Country Club Village, Saint Joseph Village, Upper Quezon Hill, and Quezon Hill Proper.

Under the agreement, the barangay commits to provide funds for the purpose of purchasing maintenance medicines and other medicinal and wellness needs for senior citizens and indigents while the city will procure maintenance medicines listed by the barangay pursuant to Government Procurement Policy Board (GPBB) resolution no. 7-2022.

This shall benefit senior citizens and indigents in the barangay needing maintenance medicines.

The Department of Health (DOH), through administrative order no. 2021-0040, announced the Implementing Guidelines on the Establishment of Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee (PTC) in provincial and city health offices for local government units (LGUs) to create a PTC at the provincial and city levels, in accordance with the Generics Act of 1988 implementing guidelines with clearly defined functions relating to procurement and supply chain management of medicines, through an executive order (EO).

The city has ordered and created a PTC through EO no. 161, series of 2021, signed by the Mayor to evaluate and select essential medicines for procurement based on the needs of the community and ensure that prices are within the price range set by current drug pricing policies.

City ordinance no. 10, series of 2023, stated the provision of free maintenance medicine to indigent residents of the city and appropriating funds thereof while in resolution no. 234, series of 2021, the city urged barangays to allocate an appropriate amount for the purchase of maintenance medicines and other medicinal and wellness needs for senior citizens in their budgets. – Gaby B. Keith