EDITORIAL - Waste not

While victims of the recent typhoons and earthquake lack food, water, medicine and other basic necessities, state auditors have reported that approximately P17.5 million worth of medicine purchased by the Department of Health in recent years until 2012 expired in storage.

A report released yesterday by the Commission on Audit said many of the items were purchased near their use-by dates. In April and October 2009, according to the report, 1,583 medicine packs released to a government hospital turned out to have expired nearly two years before the distribution.

The auditors also noted that drugs were stocked even without specific recipients. This practice could be attributed to the need to have certain types of medicine available for emergencies particularly the numerous natural disasters that hit the country regularly. There must be a better system, however, of preparing for health needs during emergencies without allowing medicine stocks to expire and go to waste. Efficient monitoring of acquisition and expiry dates should allow the government to fully utilize all its stocks of medicine.

Millions of Filipinos cannot afford even drugs for common ailments such as diarrhea and migraine. Maintenance medicine for chronic afflictions such as hypertension and diabetes are a luxury beyond the reach of millions of Filipinos. Every drop of medicine that the state can subsidize for the needy cannot be wasted.

There may be no criminal intent involved in the P17.5-million waste uncovered by state auditors. Negligence, however, also calls for penalties. At the same time, those in charge of procuring these vital supplies must leave no room for wasting people’s money. Improving the system of tracking supply procurement and utilization should not prove to be an impossible task.