Botika ng Barangay

I. What is Botika ng Barangay?

Botika ng Barangay (BnB) - refers to a drug outlet managed by a legitimate community organization (CO) / non-government
organization (NGO) and/or the Local Government Unit (LGU), with a trained operator and a supervising pharmacist specifically
established in accordance with this Order. The BnB outlet should be initially identified, evaluated and selected by the concerned Center
for Health Development (CHD), approved by the PHARMA 50 Project Management Unit (PMU) and specially licensed by the Bureau of
Food and Drugs (BFAD) to sell, distribute, offer for sale and/or make available low-priced generic home remedies, over-the-counter
(OTC) Drugs and two (2) selected, publicly-known prescription antibiotics drugs (i.e. Amoxicillin and Cotrimoxazole).
The establishment of the Botika ng Barangay (BnB) in the communities, including the insurgent areas, ensures accessibility of
low-priced generic over-the-counter drugs and eight (8) prescription drugs as recommended by the National Drug Formulary
Committee. Under Memorandum # 31 and its amendment, as much as 40 essential medicines that address common diseases can be
made available in BnBs depending on the morbidity and mortality profiles of the community. And the policies surrounding the BnB (AO
144) ensure that such can be sustained in the medium term.
II. Objectives
The objectives of this Order are as follows:
1.
2.
3.

To promote equity in health by ensuring the availability and accessibility of affordable, safe and effective, quality essential
drugs to all, with priority for marginalized, underserved, critical and hard to reach areas.
To integrate all related issuances of the DOH that provides rules and regulations in the establishment and operations of BnBs;
and
To define the roles and responsibilities of the different units of the DOH and other partners from the different sectors in
facilitating and regulating the establishment of BnBs.

BLOOD DONATION PROGRAM

Republic Act No. 7719, also known as the National Blood Services Act of 1994, promotes voluntary blood donation to provide
sufficient supply of safe blood and to regulate blood banks. This act aims to inculcate public awareness that blood donation is a
humanitarian act.
The National Voluntary Blood Services Program (NVBSP) of the Department of Health is targeting the youth as volunteers in
its blood donation program this year. In accordance with RA No. 7719, it aims to create public consciousness on the importance of
blood donation in saving the lives of millions of Filipinos.
Based from the data from the National Voluntary Blood Services Program, a total of 654,763 blood units were collected in
2009. Fifty-eight percent of which was from voluntary blood donation and the remaining from replacement donation. This year, particular
provinces have already achieved 100% voluntary blood donation. The DOH is hoping that many individuals will become regular
voluntary unpaid donors to guarantee sufficient supply of safe blood and to meet national blood necessities.
Mission:

Goals:

Blood Safety
Blood Adequacy
Rational Blood Use
Efficiency of Blood Services

The National Voluntary Blood Services Program (NVBSP) aims to achieve the following:
1. Development of a fully voluntary blood donation system;
2. Strengthening of a nationally coordinated network of BSF to increase efficiency by centralized testing and processing of blood;
3. Implementation of a quality management system including of Good Manufacturing Practice GMP and Management Information
System (MIS);

4. Attainment of maximum utilization of blood through rational use of blood products and component therapy; and
5. Development of a sound, viable sustainable management and funding for the nationally coordinated blood network.

EXPANDED PROGRAM ON IMMUNIZATION

I.

Rationale

The Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) was established in 1976 to ensure that infants/children and mothers have access to
routinely recommended infant/childhood vaccines. Six vaccine-preventable diseases were initially included in the EPI: tuberculosis,
poliomyelitis, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and measles. In 1986, 21.3% fully immunized children less than fourteen months of age
based on the EPI Comprehensive Program review.
Program Objectives/Goals:

Over-all Goal:
To reduce the morbidity and mortality among children against the most common vaccine-preventable diseases.

Specific Goals:
1. To immunize all infants/children against the most common vaccine-preventable diseases.
2. To sustain the polio-free status of the Philippines.
3. To eliminate measles infection.
4. To eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus
5. To control diphtheria, pertussis, hepatitis b and German measles.
6. To prevent extra pulmonary tuberculosis among children.

FAMILY PLANNING

Brief Description of Program

A national mandated priority public health program to attain the country's national health development: a health intervention program
and an important tool for the improvement of the health and welfare of mothers, children and other members of the family. It also
provides information and services for the couples of reproductive age to plan their family according to their beliefs and circumstances
through legally and medically acceptable family planning methods.
The program is anchored on the following basic principles.
1.

Responsible Parenthood which means that each family has the right and duty to determine the desired number of
children they might have and when they might have them. And beyond responsible parenthood is Responsible Parenting
which is the proper ubringing and education of chidren so that they grow up to be upright, productive and civic-minded
citizens.

2.

Respect for Life. The 1987 Constitution states that the government protects the sanctity of life. Abortion is NOT a FP
method:

3.

Birth Spacing refers to interval between pregnancies (which is ideally 3 years). It enables women to recover their health
improves women's potential to be more productive and to realize their personal aspirations and allows more time to care
for children and spouse/husband, and;

4.

Informed Choice that is upholding and ensuring the rights of couples to determin the number and spacing of their
children according to their life's aspirations and reminding couples that planning size of their families have a direct
bearing on the quality of their children's and their own lives.

TUBERCULOSIS CONTROL PROGRAM

Tuberculosis is a disease caused by a bacterium called Mycobeacterium tuberculosis that is mainly acquired by inhalation of
infectious droplets containing viable tubercle bacilli. Infectious droplets can be produced by coughing, sneezing, talking and singing.
Coughing is generally considered as the most efficient way of producing infectious droplets.
In 2007, there are 9.27 million incident cases of TB worldwide and Asia accounts for 55% of the cases. Through the National TB
Program (NTP), the Philippines achieved the global targets of 70% case detection for new smear positive TB cases and 89% of these
became successfully treated. The various initiatives undertaken by the Program, in partnership with critical stakeholders, enabled the
NTP to sustain these targets. Nonetheless, emerging concerns like drug resistance and co-morbidities need to be addressed to prevent
rapid transmission and future generation of such threats. Coverage should also be broadened to capture the marginalized populations
and the vulnerable groups namely, urban and rural poor, captive populations (inmates/prisoners), elderly and indigenous groups.
Last 2009, the National Center for Disease Prevention and Control of the Department of Health led the process of formulating the
2010-2016 Philippine Plan of Action to Control TB (PhilPACT) that serves as the guiding direction for the attainment of the Millenium
Development Goals (MDGs). Learning from the Directly-Observed Treatment Shortcourse (DOTS) strategy, the eight (8) strategies of
PhilPACT are anchored on this TB control framework. Moreover, these strategies are also attuned with the Governments health reform
agenda known as Kalusugang Pangkalahatan (KP) to ensure sustainability and risk protection.
Vision: TB-free Philippines
Goal: To reduce by half TB prevalence and mortality compared to 1990 figures by 2015
Objectives:
The NTP aims to:
Reduce local variations in TB control program performance
Scale-up and sustain coverage of DOTS implementation
Ensure provision of quality TB services
Reduce out-of-pocket expenses related to TB care

SMOKING CESSATION PROGRAM

Rationale:
The use of tobacco continues to be a major cause of health problems worldwide. There is currently an estimated 1.3 billion smokers in
the world, with 4.9 million people dying because of tobacco use in a year. If this trend continues, the number of deaths will increase to
10 million by the year 2020, 70% of which will be coming from countries like the Philippines. (The Role of Health Professionals in
Tobacco Control, WHO, 2005)
The World Health Organization released a document in 2003 entitled Policy Recommendations for Smoking Cessation and Treatment
of Tobacco Dependence. This document very clearly stated that as current statistics indicate, it will not be possible to reduce tobacco
related deaths over the next 30-50 years unless adult smokers are encouraged to quit. Also, because of the addictiveness of tobacco
products, many tobacco users will need support in quitting. Population survey reports showed that approximately one third of smokers
attempt to quit each year and that majority of these attempts are undertaken without help. However, only a small percentage of

cigarette smokers (1-3%) achieve lasting abstinence, which is at least 12 months of abstinence from smoking, using will power alone
(Fiore et al 2000) as cited by the above policy paper.
The policy paper also stated that support for smoking cessation or treatment of tobacco dependence refers to a range of techniques
including motivation, advise and guidance, counseling, telephone and internet support, and appropriate pharmaceutical aids all of which
aim to encourage and help tobacco users to stop using tobacco and to avoid subsequent relapse. Evidence has shown that cessation
is the only intervention with the potential to reduce tobacco-related mortality in the short and medium term and therefore should be part
of an overall comprehensive tobacco-control policy of any country.
The Philippine Global Adult Tobacco Survey conducted in 2009 (DOH, Philippines GATS Country Report, March 16, 2010) revealed that
28.3% (17.3 million) of the population aged 15 years old and over currently smoke tobacco, 47.7% (14.6 million) of whom are men,
while 9.0% (2.8 million) are women. Eighty percent of these current smokers are daily smokers with men and women smoking an
average of 11.3 and 7 sticks of cigarettes per day respectively.
The survey also revealed that among ever daily smokers, 21.5% have quit smoking. Among those who smoked in the last 12 months,
47.8% made a quit attempt, 12.3% stated they used counseling and or advise as their cessation method, but only 4.5% successfully
quit. Among current cigarette smokers, 60.6% stated they are interested in quitting, translating to around 10 million Filipinos needing
help to quit smoking as of the moment. The above scenario dictates the great need to build the capacity of health workers to help
smokers quit smoking, thus the need for the Department of Health to set up a national infrastructure to help smokers quit smoking.
The national smoking infrastructure is mandated by the Tobacco Regulations Act which orders the Department of Health to set up
withdrawal clinics. As such DOH Administrative Order No. 122 s. 2003 titled The Smoking Cessation Program to support the National
Tobacco Control and Healthy Lifestyle Program allowed the setting up of the National Smoking Cessation Program.
Vision:
Mission:

Reduced prevalence of smoking and minimizing smoking-related health risks.

To establish a national smoking cessation program (NSCP).

Objectives:
The program aims to:
1.

Promote and advocate smoking cessation in the Philippines; and

2.

Provide smoking cessation services to current smokers interested in quitting the habit.