Duterte ordered DOH to distribute nearly expired medicines — Palace

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the Department of Health to distribute medicines that are about to expire after state auditors reported that the agency has P2.2 billion worth of expired, nearly expired or overstocked medicines and medical and dental supplies.

Quoting health undersecretary Rosario Vergeire, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the expired medicines that are still with the DOH cost P30 million. He said the agency still has P1.2 billion worth of overstocked, idle or slow-moving medicines but they are not yet expired.

"So the mandate of the president for the DOH is to distribute them, especially those that are about expire so they won't go to waste. With regard to the overstocked and slow-moving ones, they should be released from our warehouse so our countrymen can benefit from them," Roque said at a press briefing Tuesday.

In its 2019 annual audit report for the health department, COA said P1.14 billion worth of the inventory items were overstocked, P1 billion worth of supplies were about to expire and about P29 million were expired.

COA has tied the expiration, overstocking and near expiration of medicines and medical and dental supplies to poor procurement planning, inefficient and uncoordinated transfer or distribution, and the lack of monitoring and proper storage.

The accumulation of expired, overstocked and nearly expired inventory items manifested "an excessive expenditure" since items were procured more than what is needed, state auditors said in their report.