DOH warns pharmacies on dispensing of drugs without prescription

The Department of Health has warned pharmacies not to dispense prescription drugs if not properly prescribed by a legitimate physician, or else these drugstores will face sanctions.

Grace Cardona, Food and Drugs Regulations officer of the Bureau of Food and Drugs, said that any pharmacy selling prescription drugs sans the required doctors prescription will be slapped with corresponding sanctions if proven.

Some of the sanctions which Cardona cited in a forum recently are monetary fines of from P5,000 up to P100,000 depending on the degree of the assault, or even the closure of establishment.

Cardona said that the health department has been strictly monitoring the selling and dispensing of drugs after reports that some pharmacies are selling prescription drugs without prescriptions from the doctor.

All medications sold can be divided into two categories - prescription medications that require prescription from the doctor before these are sold, and the non-prescription medications or over-the-counter medications that do not require a directive from a doctor.

Prescription medications are generally more potent than those sold over-the-counter and may have more serious side effects if inappropriately used.

Therefore, these medications are only sold under a doctor's direction. These directions are written on a prescription by the doctor, then double-checked, packaged, and sold by a pharmacist.

In many countries, pharmaceuticals fall into one of three classes: prescription-only, over-the-counter and some variation of behind-the-counter. Consumers do not need a doctor's approval to buy the third class of drugs, but are to speak to a pharmacist first before they get their hands on such. In America, however, long-standing Food and Drugs Authority regulations made no provisions for behind-the-counter drugs. - Jasmin R. Uy/MEEV