Memo Circular No. 1, s. 1994 is hereby amended to read 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."

a.   A senior citizen to avail of the 20% discount shall present a prescription by a professional medical practitioner for both prescription or non-prescription (over-the-counter or OTC Drugs). The rationale for requiring doctor's prescription even for OTC drugs is to curb the possible abuse of the privilege when there is no effective control mechanism and to substantiate claims for tax credit to the BIR.

All the usual details required in the doctor's prescription must be indicated such as the name of the doctor, his PTR No., patient's name, generic name of the medicine prescribed, etc.

Only 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.

b.  Any single dispensing should not be more than one (1) week's supply. However, for convenience the prescribing physician may indicate the number of times that a prescription can be refilled, up to a maximum of one month supply.

c.   Whether or not the medicine prescribed is a prescription or OTC drug, the name, address, national I.D. No. of the senior citizen, the generic name of the drug/medicine, and No. 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 registered record book which shall be subject to inspection by both the BFAD and BIR.

d.  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. For record purposes the drugstore which partially filled the prescription should ask for a copy (xerox) of the prescription.

e.  For better monitoring and control, each individual senior citizen should have a personal record of availment of this discount privilege on a form to be provided by the DSWD or OSCA effective July 1, 1994.

These discount privileges shall be limited and exclusive for the benefits of the senior citizens.

All drug outlets are enjoined to comply with the above-cited rule and all FDRC's are instructed to report non-compliance if evidence of such commission or omission shall so warrant.

Adopted: 11 Apr. 1994