DOH CHD-MM Establishes 846 Botika ng Barangay (BnB) Outlets in Metro Manila

The Center for Health Development – Metro Manila (CHD-MM) has established a total of 846 Botika ng Barangay (BnB) outlets in Metro Manila as part of the Department of Health’s (DOH) directive of promoting equity in health by ensuring the availability and accessibility of affordable and essential, safe and effective quality medicines to all.

“The DOH’s target is establishing one BNB outlet per barangay. We have already covered almost half of the 1,705 barangays in Metro Manila. And we will be targeting the next half after we have identified and evaluated other applicants for the BnB program,” Director Janairo stated.

The Botika ng Barangay (BnB) refers to a drug outlet managed by a legitimate community organization (CO/non-government organization (NGO) and/or the Local Government Unit (LGU), with a trained operator and a supervising pharmacist specifically established in accordance with Administrative Order No. 144 s.2004.

The BnB outlet should be initially identified, evaluated and selected by the concerned Center for Health Development (CHD), approved by the National Drug Policy-Pharmaceutical Management Unit (NDP-PMU 50), and specifically licensed by the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) to sell, distribute, offer for sale and/or make available low-priced generic home remedies, over-the-counter (OTC) drugs and two (2) selected, publicly-known prescription antibiotic drugs (i.e. Amoxicillin and Cotrimoxazole).

Other medicines that can be purchased from a BnB outlet are Paracetamol, Mefenamic Acid, Salbutamol, Multi-vitamins capsules and syrups, Oresol, Metoprolol, Ascorbic Acid, Metformin, Glibenclamide and Food and Drugs Authority (FDA)-approved herbal medicines like Lagundi and Sambong.

A BnB is put up in a barangay by the local government unit with P25, 000 worth of medicines. Along with this financial support is a counterpart fund for the physical structure, funding for training of operators, and provision of BnB supervising pharmacist.

“We are prioritizing areas in the region where BNB outlets shall be instituted to better provide the marginalized, underserved, critical and hard to reach areas with quality and affordable medicines, also guaranteeing the sufficient supply of drugs with generic names at the lowest possible cost in every barangay,” Janairo emphasized.

The DOH’s initial target was to establish one BnB to serve three adjacent barangays. But due to the immensity of Barangays, and the need for more than 1 BnB in some poor adjacent barangays to better provide for the service, the target were changed to one BNB per barangay.

Among the top ten established BnB’s in Metro Manila are BnB Nangka in Marikina City with 92,582.32 gross sales, BnB 161 in Caloocan City with P82,512.01 gross sales, BnB Sta Elena Marikina City with P68,152.58, BnB Bagumbayan in Taguig City with P54,728.25, BnB Napindan in Taguig City with P54,728.25, BnB Bagong Tanyag in Taguig City with P52,557.75, BnB Healthy City Center in Marikina with P52,160.46, BnB Upper Bicutan in Taguig City with P45,536, BnB Kalumpang in Marikina City win P29,501.17 and Bnb Sta. Ana in Taguig City with P27,671.25.

There are currently a total of 16,350 BnB outlets established nationwide.