CHAMP pharmacy opens in CCMC

CEBU, Philippines - To better serve recipients, the City Hospitalization and Medicines Program (CHAMP) opened its own pharmacy inside the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC).

This is aside from the hospital-based pharmacy that has been operating for years.

Medicines from the pharmacy that were opened after they were purchased in April are exclusively for program recipients, CHAMP head Henry Sanchez told reporters.

Eight million pesos worth of medicines were purchased in April 2013.

“Six million pesos were purchased through a bidding where PITC and the other two million with local bidder,” Sanchez said.

Philippine International Trading Corporation (PITC) is a government-owned and controlled company operating as a line corporation under the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

“We were able to acquire medicines at almost half the price through PITC. But for those supplies listed by CCMC doctors but not in the company’s list, we got them through two local suppliers,” he explained.

CHAC is appropriated P120 million budget for 2013 to be divided for medicines, laboratory, and hospitalization.

Sanchez reported in their mid-year assessment that from a period of January to April this year, the actual number of medicines distributed to recipients was relatively low.

Of the target 4,400 patients allotted with P13million, actual claimants was 3,489 or 79.3 percent of the target corresponding to P6,697,701.25.

“This is a good sign because this means Cebu City residents do not need medicines as much as we projected. That means they don’t get sick that often,” Sanchez added.

Assistance for laboratory tests as well hospitalization, however, exceeded the target for the first half of the year.

While CHAMP has allotted P3million for laboratory, the amount incurred reached P9,182,371.73 or 144 percent over since the number of patients was 1,920 from the target 1,320.

Hospitalization assistance, exclusive for CCMC in-patients with maximum amount of P25thousand, was 33.8 percent over the targeted P11.5million with actual expense of P15.3million since there were 1,846 patients admitted as opposed to their targeted 1,584 recipients to cater.

Registered Cebu City residents are qualified for the CHAMP program provided they submit proof of residency like voters certification, barangay certification, doctor’s prescription with certification for medicine assistance, and medical abstract for hospitalization.

Patients who are admitted in CHAMP accredited hospitals are required to present medical abstracts while outpatients must present a medical certificates and their prescriptions. — with Marielle Shayne Palaubsanon/MIT (FREEMAN)