COA to IPHO ; Explain purchase of expired drugs

The Commission on Audit wants the Provincial Health Officer to explain the purchase of more than P1 million worth of expired medicines last year.

In the Annual Audit Report submitted by state auditor Josette Rodriguez, several deficiencies were noted in the recording and inventory of supplies of medicines and drugs by Integrated Provincial Health Office.

But the more glaring deficiency observed during the physical inventory of medicines and drugs at the IPHO were the expired medicines amounting to P1,121,302.20.

The bulk of the list in the Report of Waste Materials include 2,298 boxes of disposable needle, 80 boxes of glucose one-touch strips, 300 catheters, 83 vials Cefuroxime and 8, 312 tablets of Isosorbide Dinitrate.

At least three Reports of Waste Materials worth P503,359, P582,739.20 and P34,964 respectively were disposed by throwing away, as certified by IPHO head Cristina Giango.

The issue on expired medicines was first discovered in one of the medical missions of Governor Gwendolyn Garcia last year in Pinamungajan town.

Provincial Board member Estrella Yapha, who heads the Committee on Public, Health and Social Welfare, initially called the attention of Giango during the supplemental budget hearing, particularly on budget for health services.

Yapha then said that as a matter of policy medicines should not be purchased if its expiry date is below two years.

In fact, Yapha again brought up the matter before the provincial board during deliberation of Giango's appointment as the permanent provincial health officer along with two other department heads for the latter's alleged failure to answer her query.



Giango said she had already acted on the matter by referring to the committee on ethics and discipline, specifically calling for an investigation on the pharmacist, but has yet to receive the report of the said committee after a year now. - Ferliza C. Contratista and Cristina C. Birondo