Cordi shops selling overpriced med supplies face cases: DOH

Penalties as high as P1 million 

By Liza Agoot 

BAGUIO CITY – The Dept. of Health in the Cordillera Administrative Region has issued notices to 72 commercial establishments to explain their overpriced essential medicines and supplies.

The DOH is set to file cases against erring firms or establishments who could be penalized to as high as P1 million for overpricing. 

In a briefing on Tuesday, DOH-CAR pharmacist Aiden Bermisa said the results of their monitoring of 214 establishments in the region, including groceries, drug stores, and pharmacies, showed that 72 have been selling essential medicines and supplies higher than the suggested retail price.

The DOH central office issued a price freeze on essential medicines and supplies, such as ethyl alcohol and face masks, amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) scare where demand for masks, alcohol, vitamins, and others was recorded.

Based on the DOH-CAR monitoring, there were six found non-compliant in Baguio, 14 in Benguet, eight in Kalinga, 18 in Mt. Province, seven in Abra, 14 in Ifugao, and five in Apayao.

Bermisa said they will be issuing a notice to explain within the week to the establishments.

Lawyer Veronica Zandra Sowaken, DOH-CAR legal officer, said the cases will be handled by the DOH.

"All of these are for due notice, no need to refer it to other agencies kami na po ang bahala [DOH] for legal action (All of these are for due notice, no need to refer it to other agencies, we will be handling the legal action)," Sowaken said.

Violators can be fined as high as P1 million and imprisonment of one to 10 years, she said.

Earlier, the DOH-CAR had earlier found pharmacies overpricing surgical and N-95 masks.

Bermisa said the random monitoring for Baguio and Benguet was done by the DOH, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) of the Philippine National Police while in the provinces, the DOH provincial offices did the random monitoring of establishments.

"The DOH is mandated to regulate and monitor drug prices as well as to ensure the consumers are adequately protected from illnesses," Bermisa said.

"Essential medicines have been identified as a basic necessity especially in times of natural calamities and man-made disasters that put the health and lives of Filipinos at risk because of unfavorable conditions so ang ginawa po ng DOH (what the DOH did) was to conduct random monitoring," she added.

The items that were monitored included medical supplies such as analgesic, disinfectant, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, cardio-vascular medicines, and vitamins. (With reports from Corwin Lucas Golonan, OJT/PNA)