Tele-pharmacy program launched

MANILA, Philippines — State agencies and private companies yesterday launched a program designed to make essential medicines more accessible in underserved areas.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Professional Regulation Commission and private firms held a ceremonial signing of the memorandum of understanding for the Regulatory Sandbox Pilot Program for Flexible Supervision of Pharmacies in the presence of President Marcos at Malacañang.

The pilot program aims to address the current shortage of about 27,500 registered pharmacists across the country, according to a statement issued by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).

The initiative will enable licensed pharmacists to remotely supervise multiple community pharmacies and widen their reach without compromising safety and quality standards.

“Under the regulatory sandbox pilot program for flexible supervision of pharmacies, medicines will be more accessible to the people because it aims to address the lack of registered pharmacists in the country,” PCO Undersecretary Claire Castro said at a press briefing.

“Under the program, a registered pharmacist can supervise community pharmacies through tele-pharmacy and video supervision,” she added.