Use generic names in prescription

As the Department of Health-CHD Western Visayas celebrates the Generics Awareness Month this September, the department advises the public to monitor the use of generic names in drug prescriptions.

Delia Tarrosa, chief of DOH-CHD’s Licensing Regulation Enforcement Division, said that amendment to Republic Act 9502 or the Universally Accessible Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act of 2008 mandates that all government health agencies and their personnel as well as other government agencies shall use generic terminology or generic tames in all transactions related to purchasing, prescribing, dispensing, reimbursing, and administering of drugs and medicines.

She added that under this Act, all private medical, dental and veterinary practitioners shall prescribe in generic name; the brand name may be included if so desired. It also states the consumers’ right to demand information on all generic equivalents available.

She added, “Any organization or company involved in the manufacture, importation, repacking, marketing and/or distribution of drugs and the medicines shall indicate prominently the generic name of the product. In the case of brand name products, the generic name shall appear prominently and immediately above the brand name in all product labels as well as in advertising and other promotional materials. Drugs outlets shall post conspicuously a list of products wi9tih same generic names and their corresponding prices which shall form as a licensing requirement.”

MONITORING

“We do a random collection of doctors’ prescription from pharmacies. If there is a violation, we will file a complaint and address it to the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC),” she said.

“PRC is doing good. They are the ones who write the doctors, asking them to explain their violation,” she added.

The violator runs the risk of paying P10,000 to P25,000 in fines and cancellation of his/her PRC license, she concluded./Marie Katherine Villalon