MANAGED CARE PHARMACY IN THE PHILIPPINES?

It has been buzzing for some time that Managed Care Pharmacy will be available to Filipinos next year. For those who are not familiar with the practice, Managed Care is simply your PhilHealth, Maxicare, Medicard so on and so forth. The only difference is that in the Philippines, drug benefit is not included in Managed Care programs and only hospitalization and laboratory exams.

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Through the efforts of PhilHealth (and FDA Philippines, I'm not sure) this program is said to be launched next year but this will start with PhilHealth only and no private Health Management Organizations (HMO) yet, that means your Maxicare or Medicard will be credited maybe in the next 20 years (Hehehe)

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There will be screening among drugstore outlets as to which will qualify to provide drug benefits. Issues arise like PhilHealth is always late in paying so the accredited drugstores cannot count on this program as a real corporate advantage for them and my concern is that FDA Philippines told me that screening will be through PhilHealth as well?! Why can't they just use the evaluation criteria that FDA does to award quality seal to drugstores anually to economize and save time? I hate to be negative but work duplication is a very good source of corruption.