General Functions

Implement, strategize, maximize and monitor the impact of RA 9502;

Formulate  and update the frameworks of the various pillars of the Philippines Medicines Policy (formerly referred to as the National Drug Policy), and draft standards and guidelines pertinent thereto;

Formulate and recommend appropriate policies and standards on the assessment, pricing, and management of health technologies with the end goal of improving access to medicines and their effectiveness and efficiency in the healthcare system;

Function as the Clearing House of medicines procured by the DOH;

Collect information on prices of drugs along the entire supply chain and analyze the mark-ups with aggregate findings to be made publicly accessible;

Issue price freezes and suggested retail prices during public health emergencies;

Institutionalize the Price Negotiation Board;

Provide technical assistance in the establishment of Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committees in the primary care setting and the strengthening of public pharmacy services in the communities;

Promote rational prescribing, dispensing, and use of medicines to achieve optimal benefits for the patients;

Oversee the implementation of the Philippine National Action Plan to combat the emergence and spread of AMR;

Formulate and recommend policy guidelines for the establishment of a Pharmaceutical Security and Continuity Plan in the country by ensuring a continuous and uninterrupted supply of essential medicines;

Improve Supply Chain Management integration with other health and social services of the national government and institutionalize good pharmacy practice to improve the quality of services through the revitalization of the Botika ng Bayan/Bayani program;

Coordinate and liaise with other national government agencies to ensure alignment of national policies and strategies towards strengthening the supply chain of medical devices and PPE and local manufacturing capacity in the country;

Develop strategies on monitoring of price of new and existing medical devices and PPEs in the market;

Provide secretariat support to bodies created to pursue effective implementation of RA 9502;

Design strategies and health system delivery models on improving access to health technologies at different levels of health facilities;

Develop, institute and conduct learning and development interventions (LDI) related to the performance of its functions;

Provide technical assistance to both the public and private health sector on the support they need in adopting best practices for the sustainable, rational, and safe use of health technologies;

Manage and improve access to medicines and other health technologies through various instruments and mechanisms as allowed by law, e.g., use of information technology and health promotion and education activities; and,

Perform such functions as may be necessary to effectively carry out and implement the provisions of the Cheaper Medicines Act or as may be directed by the DOH Secretary.

Policy, Program Development and Research Unit (PPDRU)

Provide inputs on all policies, researches, and position papers of PD, legislative engagements (e.g., Implementation of CMA, Drug Availability Survey, Strategic directions through the Philippine Medicines Policy);

Act as the policy clearing house of PD;

Implement inter-agency coordination through the management of technical committees and working groups (e.g., ICAMR, AC, SC & TWG IRPPI, TWG CSOs);

Lead the implementation of programs to promote the rational use of medicines such

Implement the Philippine Action Plan to Combat AMR through One Health Approach and its key strategies, including the implementation of the National Antimicrobial Stewardship Program in hospitals and primary care facilities;

Maintain and regularly update the Philippine National Formulary based on the positive recommendations of the Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC) which are approved by the Health Secretary;

Manage patient engagement activities of PD through policy dialogue sessions; and,

Implement advocacy activities for key PD programs (e.g., AMR, Generics Use Awareness).

Program Implementation and Monitoring Unit (PIMU)

Monitor the availability of medicines in the primary healthcare facilities and other service delivery points through the use of the Pharmaceutical Management Information System (PMIS) and provide quarterly data analysis and reports to the ExeCom and National Health Program Managers; 

Manage the DOH PMIS system references including feature updates,  system modification and database maintenance;

Monitor and provide technical assistance on the establishment of the PTCs at the primary care level;

Lead the implementation of active Drug Tuberculosis Safety Monitoring (aDSM);

Conduct causality assessment and submit case reports/assessments of SAEs and AESIs to the FDA;

Maintain a database of all reported SAEs and AESIs from health facilities providing treatment for TB through the Pharmacovigilance Information Management System (PViMS); 

Monitor the consumption and availability of COVID-19 investigational drugs and other therapies in the hospitals through the PMIS

Provide technical assistance to health facilities with reported drug shortages to ensure continuous and uninterrupted supply of essential medicines; and,                    

Oversee and implement the F1 Plus BNB and F1 Plus BNBi program in coordination with CHDs, MOH-BARMM, PNP and AFP.

System Support Unit (SSU)

Oversee the implementation of the drug price reform as allowed and provided by existing laws

Manage the application of the tools under RA 9502 to contain the cost or regulate the prices of medicines as needed such as the imposition of the Maximum Drug Retail Price

Manage the application of the tools under RA 7581 to implement Price Freeze and Suggested Retail Prices

Responsible for the use of government tools to ensure access to affordable and effective drugs such as TRIPS Flexibilities

Provide technical and Secretariat support to relevant DOH bodies such as the Drug Price Advisory Committee and the Price Negotiation Board

Establish a monitoring and regulation system for the pricing of medicines such as the Electronic Drug Price Monitoring System and Drug Price Watch 

Manage the application of the tools under RA 11223 or the UHC Act to implement the Drug Price Reference Index

Ensure availability and affordability of pharmaceuticals to increase health service coverage and deliver better health outcomes

Medical Device Unit (MDU)

Set policies, procedures, and develop new guidelines related to the development and maintenance of PEMDL and MDSPRI

Oversee and manage the overall implementation of PEMDL and PRI for Medical Devices;

Develop tools to monitor the adherence of all end-users covered by this Order;

Provide technical assistance to end-users for the implementation of this program and help them address issues and concerns encountered,

Conduct a regular assessment of the PEMDL together with all the stakeholders in public health facilities, other government agencies, health providers, patients and the industry; and, Monitor the compliance of all end-users to the set guidelines for the MDSPRI and submit it to the DOH.

Management and Information System Unit (MISU)

Develop and update information systems and websites related to the Pharmaceutical Division (PD);

Setup and maintain users’ accounts for Pharmaceutical Division-owned and managed system;

Conduct system enhancements and develop new system functionalities to enhance user experience;

Develop, update, and/or maintain Software Operations Manual;

Create new modules to automate generation of reports;

Collaborate with external partners to improve or develop PD-related databases and websites;

Maintain all PD databases and ensure user access

Perform master backup of the databases;

Monitor databases performance and fine tune them to improve speed and/or performance;

Assess and evaluate databases and troubleshoot related problems during operation;

Extract or export data from the system for validation purposes;

Troubleshoot hardware, software and network related problems;

Provide technical support for the implementation of information systems and websites within the Pharmaceutical Division (PD).

Assist with IT-related issues and needs of PD, such as image and multimedia editing, report and manual formatting, template creation for presentations and reporting, and organizing online/hybrid events.