Pharma to partner with PhilHealth for meds access

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Pharma Procurement Inc. (PPPI) is looking to partner with the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. to ensure the availability of medicines for PhilHealth’s Konsulta and GAMOT programs.

According to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), PPPI president and CEO Maria Blanca Kim Lokin recently met with PhilHealth president and CEO Emmanuel Ledesma Jr. to discuss how to make sure there are medicines to support the Konsulta and GAMOT programs.

Konsulta or the Konsultasyong Sulit Tama program is a comprehensive outpatient primary care benefit package mandated by the Universal Health Care Law that provides free annual check-ups, health risk screening, selected diagnostic tests and medicines.

Meanwhile, GAMOT or the Guaranteed and Accessible Medications for Outpatient Treatment is a standalone outpatient program covering select essential medicines.

The PPPI is set to roll out an improved Botika ng Bayan to serve as the access points for medicines being given for free under the Konsulta and GAMOT programs.

This initiative will ensure that patients diagnosed under the Konsulta program are able to access medicines they need for treatment.