City Hall to COA: "Relax policies"

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Government has asked the Commission on Audit (COA) to relax the policies that led to the suspension of the payment for Pro Poor Pharmacy, one of the dispensing pharmacies under the City’s Hospitalization Assistance and Medical Program (CHAMP).

City Administrator Jose Marie Poblete said that some of the COA recommendations and findings could no longer be complied with and justified because some documents are already missing, while the questioned drugs were already consumed by the constituents.

For instance, the receipts and prescriptions along with other documents that COA asked them to submit have been gone or misplaced since they abolished the then City Assistance for Medicines Program (CAMP), which they replace with CHAMP.

CHAMP is an expanded program, because it already includes the P25,000 worth of hospitalization assistance apart from the P5,000 medical assistance.

Poblete said the medicines dispensed to the beneficiaries have already been consumed by the constituents so they ought to pay the supplier.

“Since we can no longer comply, we just have to tell COA about it. Anyway, we have implemented measures and devising new policies to avoid violations later. And in view na di matanggong ang payment to supplier, atong hangyuon na i-relax lang gamay basing on the actual situation,” Poblete said.

Poblete said they were thankful that COA has pointed out the areas they need to change and enhance. They had a meeting with state auditors last Friday where they discussed the solutions to the COA findings.

Soon, the City Government will be bidding out the supply to qualified pharmacies and this time, they will enter into an ordering agreement.

Through the ordering agreement, the pharmacy will be compelled to dispense only those included in the ordering agreement list. Poblete said they are thinking of means to address the dilemma on medicines that may be prescribed by doctors but will not be included in the list.

Poblete said they will bid out initially a one-year worth of supply based on the history of dispenses since the creation of CHAMP.

As for the list of medicines, CHAMP is already coordinating with the City Health Department and the Cebu City Medical Center for medicines that will be procured.

Poblete said they will most likely base the list on the history of the demand. –/JPM (FREEMAN)