Hospital, drug store fined for buying drugs from illegal sources

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines -  – A hospital and a drug store here were fined by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) for getting regulated drugs from illegal sources.

The PDEA-Cordillera fined the establishments for acquiring regulated drugs from unlicensed operators. However, the PDEA-Cordillera, which has stepped up its Regulatory Compliance Inspections on firms handling dangerours drugs, controlled precursors and essential chemicals (CPECs),  has not identified the hospital and the drug store.

The hospital, though a PDEA-registered client, was fined P10,000 last May 27, for getting 11 vials of Ketamine from an unauthorized supplier.

The PDEA-licensed pharmacy was also imposed the same penalty earlier on October 9 last year after it was found  have bought 50 ampules of Midazolam Hydrochloride from an unaccredited source, Emily Fama, PDEA-Cordillera spokesperson said.

The dealings of the hospital and drug store were clear violations of Section 22 (1), Board Regulation No. 3, Series of 2003 of the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), Fama said, while specifying that “no licensed-operator shall sell to or acquire from another operator in the Philippines any dangerous drug or controlled chemical and their preparations unless thee second operator is also licensed.”

Besides the fines, the PDEA required  the hospital and drug store to submit their respective detailed execution plan for corrective measures they will institute to prevent recurrence of the violation.

Likewise the violators  were  warned  that repetition of the same offense shall be dealt with in accordance with Section 32 of Republic Act 9165 (The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002) and other applicable penal laws, in which imprisonment ranging from six months and a day to four years, and fine ranging from P10,000 to P50,000.00 shall be imposed, in addition to administrative sanctions.

PDEA–CAR director Ronald Allan Ricardo said “unauthorized or unlicensed handling and prescription of dangerous drugs, and/or controlled precursors and essential chemicals is punishable by life imprisonment and ten million pesos fine.”

To prevent and control  chemicals to get into the hands of unlicensed the PDEA is stepping up its monitoring and regulatory tasks, Ricardo said, while vowing that the agency provides  frontline licensing services to the Cordillera clientele and regularly monitors controlled substance holders in the area, not to mention its continuous crackdown on illegal drug trafficking, unlawful prescription of dangerous drugs and substance abuse.

“We stay vigilant on the possible diversion of dangerous drugs from hospitals and community outlets, and remains alert to the emerging concern at the global level on the increase in prescription drug abuse,” he said. - Artemio A. Dumlao