Pinoy Pharmacy

This month Department of Health celebrates "Generic Awareness Month" through Republic Act (R.A.)6675. This is to promote, require and ensure the production of an adequate supply, distribution, use and acceptance of drugs and medicines identified by their generic name.

Under Rebulic Act 6675 also known as the Generics Act of 1988, physicians, dentist and veterinarians are required to indicate the generic names of all drugs prescribed whether through a personal prescription pad or a doctor's order sheet in the hospital chart. It is required that generic names of all drugs must always be written first before a brand name which is optional and placed in parenthesis.

For violation of this act, the Secretary of DOH shall have the authority to impose administrative sanctions such as suspension or cancellation of license to operate or recommend suspension of license to practice profession to the Professional Regulation Commission as the case may be.

Is/Are there any healthcare prescriber or establishments being penalized, suspended or cancelled their license(s) violating this act? If yes, how many? If no, why not? What do Pharmacist say about this issue since they are the ones dispensing the medicines? These I think just some basic questions to ask if we talk more about this issue.