The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) on Wednesday said more than 300 pharmacies nationwide have been accredited under the Guaranteed Access to Medicines for Outpatients and Treatment (GAMOT) Program.
“As of Sept. 30, 304 pharmacies are accredited nationwide, of which 56 po ang nasa (are in) Metro Manila,” PhilHealth President and Chief Executive Officer Edwin Mercado said in a media roundtable discussion.
“Ang mga pharmacy chains po nag-wait and see muna sila ngayong may experience na sila… nakikipag-usap na rin ma-i-accredit ‘yung branches nila (Pharmacy chains initially took a ‘wait-and-see’ approach, but now that they have experienced the program, they’re already in talks with us to have their branches accredited),” he added.
The remaining pharmacies are spread across the country as part of the program’s strategic phased rollout.
In Metro Manila, Phases 1 and 2 have been implemented, followed by the soft implementation of Phase 3.
The state insurer’s planned Phase 4 rollout is by the end of 2025 or early next year as it assesses which provinces are ready to join the next phases to ensure that implementation remains smooth, sustainable, and beneficial to local communities.
GAMOT is designed to complement the Yamang Kalusugan Para sa Pamilyang Pilipino (YAKAP) primary care program by ensuring that registered members have affordable and accessible medicines from accredited pharmacies nationwide.
To date, PhilHealth reported 36 million registered members under YAKAP who have already selected their primary care clinics.
Of these, 8.87 million members have completed their first patient encounter (FPE) this year.
This figure is in addition to 6 to 7 million FPEs recorded last year, totaling 15 to 16 million active members who have accessed primary care services.
The agency targets to reach 50 million registered members and 20 million FPEs by the end of the year.
“All Filipinos are covered by Universal Health Care and therefore eligible for YAKAP and GAMOT,” Mercado said.
“Kapag ikaw ay datihan nang Konsulta member at ikaw ay nakikita na ng isang Konsulta Clinic na naging YAKAP Clinic, tuloy-tuloy lang iyon at hindi mo na kailangan magpa-register ulit (If you were previously enrolled in the Konsulta program and your clinic is now a YAKAP facility, you don’t need to register again),” he added.
PhilHealth has allocated PHP15.3 billion for the YAKAP program and PHP2.9 billion for the GAMOT program this year.
Currently, 75 essential medicines are available under GAMOT, drawn from the Department of Health’s Essential Drug List of nearly 300 medicines.
More medicines are being considered for inclusion based on the recommendations of the Health Technology Assessment Council, with insulin prioritized for approval within the year.
Mercado said PhilHealth continues to adjust its health services and medicine supply to respond to changing disease patterns caused by climate change, such as the increasing prevalence of leptospirosis throughout the year.
To raise awareness and improve visibility, PhilHealth Corporate Affairs Group Vice President Walter Bacareza said signages and mini-billboards will soon be placed in YAKAP and GAMOT facilities.
“Signages will soon be installed so the public and media can easily identify accredited YAKAP and GAMOT facilities,” Bacareza said.
He added that these signages will highlight available services, including primary care, free medicines, and even cancer-screening programs. (PNA)