In his regular Talk to the People Monday night (Feb. 14) Duterte said he wants sellers of counterfeit medicines prosecuted to the full extent of the law to deter them from continuing their illegal trade.
“Maski saan diyan sa dalawa okay ‘yan. Ang akin lang kasi there must be a follow-up sa prosecution para mahinto na ’to. Baka gawain lang ninyong pagkatapos hulihin, tapos wala lang, wala talagang mangyari dito sa mga batas na ‘to,” he said.
He said the FDA should monitor these businesses since effective prosecution is necessary to discourage them from selling fake medicines that threaten public welfare.
For his part FDA Deputy Director General Oscar Gutierrez reported that 78 out of 185 sari-sari stores were selling fake medicines in violation of the Pharmacy Law and FDA Act of 2009.
At least 13 counterfeit drugs, mostly COVID-related medicines, were confiscated from 13 stores.
The FDA official said sari-sari stores are mere victims in the proliferation of counterfeit drugs.
“Dito naman po kasi sa sari-sari store, FDA thinks po na ‘yung sari-sari store po kasi are also victims,” he said.
“So actually po, ang sari-sari store mayroon po silang license to operate from the local government. So we would like sana to work with the LGU para po maybe they can pass an ordinance na ‘yung mga sari-sari store po do not buy or carry medicine, ” Gutierrez added.
Gutierrez said he appealed to the public to only buy medicines from 44,989 FDA-licensed drug outlets, including 3,536 Retail Outlet for Non-Prescription Drugs (RONPD).
Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año on the other hand, said he vowed to assist the FDA by disseminating a memo circular to local government units regarding the campaign against the sale of counterfeit drugs.
“We will intensify this and make sure that our LGUs will join this campaign to get rid of these fake medicines because they are dangerous to the health of our constituents,” he said.
Currently, violators of the Counterfeit Law, especially those caught possessing counterfeit items may face one-day to six months imprisonment.
File Photo from Presidential Communications