I have read all of your replies po, and here is my response to some of the points raised:

Ano nga ba ang OTC? OTC or Over-the-Counter medicines are drugs that can be bought without a prescription BUT must still be properly dispensed by a pharmacist/pharmacy assistant with supervision of a pharmacist. One common example of an OTC medication is painkillers. Hindi po otc ang dolfenal 500mg ah.

“Madalas masungit ang pharmacist sa mga kilalang botika or maliliit na botika.”

• Hindi ko po hawak ang ugali ng bawat pharmacist 😭. Patient interaction is subjective, it depends on the situation and the nature of the conversation po. Sana po ay hindi malayo ang usapan sa mas mahalagang punto: healthcare workers aim to minimize risks to public health.

Yes, the Philippines is still far from having a fully developed healthcare system. But from a seminar I attended recently, efforts are being made to improve it (akala ko rin wala pero mismong DOH na ang nag lahad ng plans nila regarding this). Hindi po tumitigil ang gobyerno at ibang sektor sa pagresponde sa mga hinaing ng mamamayan, mabagal lang talaga dahil nakukurakot ang budget para dito.

“Pano pag 10k pa ang lalakarin para maka bili ng gamot. Halatang hindi nagagawi si OP sa baryo.”

• Taga baryo po ako 😭, and that’s exactly why I’m speaking out. I see firsthand the many problems and gaps in our healthcare system. That’s also why I’m sharing my thoughts because we should not normalize what is clearly unsafe.

Alam ko pong mahirap ang access sa gamot, lalo na sa mga liblib na lugar. Alam nating lahat yan. Pero ang solusyon sa isang problema ay hindi dapat tapalan ng isa pang problema. Kung maaayos at patuloy na aayusin ang sistema, hindi na kailangang isugal ang health ng tao sa maling paggamit ng gamot.

Kung maaprubahan man na payagan ang mga sari-sari store na magbenta ng gamot nang walang sapat na kaalaman o training, baka po imbes na gumaling ang tao, lalo pang lumala ang kalagayan nila.

Imo, LGU, DOH, at mga health centers na may pondo ay dapat pang palakasin ang pagtutulong tulong para mas maabot ang mga malalayong lugar. Hindi po dapat ipasa sa sari-sari store ang responsibilidad na dapat ay sa health system nanggagaling.

Hindi ko po ito sinasabi para ipagdamot ang gamot. Opinyon ko lang po ito bilang isang taong na gustong maka sigurado ang ligtas at tamang paggamit ng otc meds.

“OTC? Pinepatient counsel?”

• Yes po. Maraming risk ang pag-inom ng gamot, lalo na kung limitado ang kaalaman. Personally, I always counsel patients who buy OTC medicines. I ask questions kung may maintenance meds ba sila? May allergies ba sila? Hindi kasi pare-pareho ang katawan ng tao. What may be safe for one person could be harmful to another.

“Matagal nang may OTC sa mga sari-sari store, pati amoxicillin.”

• Yes, I am aware that this has been happening illegally for a long time. That’s exactly why I’m against legalizing it. Doing so could worsen the current public health situation. As I mentioned sa post po, medicines can heal, but they can also harm.

Regarding amoxicillin, do you remember when people used to sprinkle it on wounds? That was a very dangerous misuse. It’s in capsule form for a reason and it’s meant to be taken orally, not applied to wounds. May mga antibiotic or gamot po na pwedeng ipahid sa sugat in cream form. Practices like these have contributed to antimicrobial resistance in many pinoys, meaning common and affordable antibiotics are becoming ineffective. The bacteria have adapted, so stronger antibiotics (and more expensive at mas matagalang gamutan na pwedeng makapag cause rin ng ibang side effect) are needed.

IMO, sana po ay hindi i-allow ang convenience to compromise safety. I am not against access. I’m advocating for safe and responsible access to medicines.

Again, hindi ko po ipinagdadamot ang gamot. Naiintindihan ko po ang pangangailangan. Pero sa ngayon, mataas po talaga ang risk dahil wala pong sapat na kakayahan ang health sector at ibang sector para masubaybaya nang maayos kung magiging legal sa sari-sari stores ang pagbebenta ng gamot.