Stopping TB through “No Prescription, No Dispensing” policy
It all began with the positive response of the owner-manager, Mrs. Bella Yao, after training on TB prevention and control for laboratories and pharmacies conducted by the Bacolod City Health Office, the Philippine Business for Social Progress and the Philippine Tuberculosis Society, Inc. (PTSI). These meetings eventually led to adoption of the pharmacy-based TB referral system.
The Grace Pharmacy experience proved that sales would not suffer by being part of the DOTS referral system. Using sales data, Mrs. Yao showed that there was a minor decline in the sale of anti-TB drugs at the start of the initiative. However, the decline was temporary and sales picked up months after the pharmacy staff continued educating the customers. It turned out that customers were impressed by the extra time, effort and attention to TB education that were given before sales.
The Negros Occidental Provincial Health Office and the Bacolod City Health Office, encouraged by pharmacy owner’s commitment, trained the pharmacists and pharmacy aides on the right approaches and how to convince persons with TB symptoms to visit health facilities for their check-up, diagnosis and complete treatment rather than to simply self-medicate.
As a result, there was a spike in the number of referrals from the drugstore to health facilities. At the same time, sales of anti-TB drugs rose despite the change in the drugstore’s sales policy as claimed by Mrs. Yao herself: “Initially my instruction to the pharmacy staff was “go ahead and sell but educate. After our pharmacist and pharmacy assistants underwent training, the policy became do not sell, educate first. For us, information and education was an added service. When the patients returned, they had prescriptions.” If the person with TB symptoms is willing to enroll in DOTS, they are referred to health centers closest their residence and given referral forms.
The involvement of the pharmacy owner was critical in enabling the Pharmacy DOTS initiative to reach its goals. Pharmacists and pharmacy aides of the chain now enjoy their new-found roles as educators and counselors of persons with TB symptoms. These pharmacy patrons are given the option whether to avail or not of free medications through the DOTS program of the DOH after proper TB diagnosis. 30
For more information about tuberculosis and the national TB control program, contact the DOH Call Center 165364.
About the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP)
The Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) is the largest corporate-led social development foundation in the Philippines. It is committed to poverty reduction, the promotion and practice of corporate social responsibility (CSR). More than 260 large, medium-scale and small businesses comprise PBSP, with nationwide programs in Education, Health, Sustainable Livelihood, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development, and the Environment implemented with partners and communities as empowered players in development.
PBSP manages the Innovations and Multisectoral Partnerships to Achieve Control of Tuberculosis (IMPACT) project, a five-year technical assistance project to Philippine government, funded by the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Source: www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/300965/cbb/stopping-tb-through-no-prescription-no-dispensing-policy