DOH out to reduce drug testing fees

The Department of Health (DOH) said that it will try to reduce the drug-testing fee by almost P100 when the agency assumes supervision of drug testing centers next month.

Dr. Benjamin Reyes, supervising promotion officer of the DOH’s National Health Promotion, noted that DOH wanted the P300-fee down by P100, at the most to ease the burden of public utility drivers and other people who have to undergo drug tests as a requirement for work.

"We’re trying to find measures to bring down the drug-testing fees. We are doing this to help them (drivers). We want the fee down by P50 or P100," Reyes added.

The DOH will start overseeing the accreditation of all drug-testing centers when the implementing guidelines on accreditation under the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 or Republic Act 9165 formally take effect.

At present, government agencies like the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) have their own accreditation standards.

While the DOTC is requiring all motorists applying for driver’s license to undergo drug test, the PNP is imposing such requirement for security personnel and gun owners applying for their respective licenses.

The DOTC requirement, however, met strong criticisms from various transport groups that complained of "exorbitant" fees being charged by private drug-testing centers.

Reyes said they hope to make the fee more affordable for the Filipino people so the DOH will meet with the owners of private drug-testing laboratories about the possibility of reducing their fees.

The DOH has vowed to ensure a "quality drug testing" when it becomes in charge of the accreditation of drug-testing centers. – Sheila Crisostomo