For the information and guidance of all concerned, Memo Circular No. 4, s. 1994 is hereby amended as follows:

Rule V (D) states: "A senior citizen is entitled to a minimum of twenty percent (20%) discount in the purchase of medicine for his personal use and according to his personal needs."

1. In the purchase of medicine, a senior citizen or his duly authorized representative should always present the national identification card and his purchase slip booklet duly issued and approved by the OSCA Chairman together with the doctor's prescription in case of prescription drugs. If non-prescription or over-the-counter drugs, the number of drugs purchased shall be commensurate to the elderly person's needs.

   For better monitoring and control, each individual senior citizen should have the aforementioned purchase slip booklet on which his record of availment of this discount privilege shall be reflected. This purchase slip booklet shall be made available beginning September 1994 through the local OSCA on a voluntary basis in order for all parties concerned to be familiar with it. Beginning January 1, 1995, its use by Senior Citizens shall be mandatory. This purchase slip booklet should be presented by the Senior Citizen or his authorized agent to the Drugstore together with his OSCA Identification Card.

   All the usual details required in the doctor's prescription must be indicated such as the name of the doctor, his PTR number, patient's name, generic name of the medicine prescribed, etc.

   Only complete prescriptions which comply fully with the Generics Law shall be honored.

   Senior Citizens who cannot afford the consultation fee of a private doctor could consult at their government health center/hospital and get a prescription free of charge.

2. As a general rule, any single dispensing should not be more than one (1) week supply. However, when the drugs are for chronic conditions requiring continuous use for more than a month, such as but not limited to anti-hypertensive, anti-diabetic, anti-angina, anti-thyroid, anti-parkinsonism, anti-arthritis, anti-TB, anti-neoplastic, anti-psychotic, hormonal drugs for prolonged use and dietary supplements, a maximum of one month supply may be dispensed at a time.

3. Whether or not the medicine prescribed is a prescription or OTC drug, the name, address, national I.D. number of the senior citizen, the generic name of the drug/medicine, and number of units dispensed shall be recorded in a special record book for Senior Citizens Discount provided under R.A. 7432.

   For this purpose, drugstores are required to maintain only one special record book registered and subject to inspection by both the BFAD and BIR.

4. For partial filling, the drugstore pharmacist will indicate the quantity partially filled in the special record book and the unfilled balance on the prescription. The senior citizen shall retain the partially filled prescription and present the same later to complete the prescribed quantity.

5. Drug outlets offering special discounted prices less than 20% of the regular retail prices of drugs can deduct the percentage discount of the Promotional Campaign from the total 20% discount as required by R.A. 7432. Thus, a total discount of 20% for Senior Citizens will still be observed.

These discount privileges shall be non-transferable and limited and exclusive for the benefit of the senior citizen.

The provisions of this revised BFAD Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA 7432 shall supersede all previous circulars on the same subject matter.

All drug outlets including drugstores, hospital pharmacies (government or private) or retail outlets for non-prescription drugs are enjoined to comply with the above-cited rule and all FDRO's are instructed to report non-compliance if evidence of such commission or omission shall so warrant.

This BFAD Circular shall take effect 15 days after its publication in a national newspaper.

Adopted: 16 Sept. 1994

(SGD.) QUINTIN L. KINTANAR, M.D., PH. D., CESO I
Director