President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday witnessed the ceremonial signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the Regulatory Sandbox Pilot Program for Flexible Supervision of Pharmacies.
This initiative was launched by the Food and Drug Administration, the Professional Regulation Commission, and the private sector to enhance access to essential medicines in community pharmacies, especially in underserved areas, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said in a press release.
‘The pilot program between government agencies and the private sector seeks to address the current shortage of about 27,500 registered pharmacists across the country, as cited by the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC),’ it read. ‘The program aims to address the gap in the availability of registered pharmacists through flexible supervision mechanisms, including telepharmacy and video supervision,’ it also read.
The Regulatory Sandbox Pilot Program for Flexible Supervision of Pharmacies will allow licensed pharmacists to remotely supervise multiple community pharmacies.
It will be jointly implemented by the FDA, the Professional Regulatory Board of Pharmacy, and participating private sector pharmacies.
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Under the signed contract, the FDA will ‘provide regulatory guidance, issue necessary clearances, and oversee the compliance of participating pharmacies with Republic Act No. 10918, or the Philippine Pharmacy Act of 2016,’ which requires one registered pharmacist for every pharmacy.
The program will be implemented until 2027, with potential pilot areas including Caloocan, Manila, Abra, Ilocos, La Union, Camarines Sur, Quezon, Iloilo, Negros, and Misamis.