The Caloocan City government warned on Thursday that it will go after drugstores refusing to issue receipts and appropriate discounts for medicines, especially those covered by the 50 percent price cut under the Cheaper Medicines Act.

Mayor Enrico “Recom” Echiverri said he has directed city administrator Russel Ramirez to form a composite team that will be in charge of monitoring the 261 pharmacies and drugstores operating within the city to ensure that they comply with the law.

He warned that pharmacies may face investigation and dealt with accordingly if they refuse to issue receipts and give appropriate discounts for the medicines, including the provision of the 20 percent discounts being offered by the Magna Carta for Persons with Disability and RA 9257 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act.

He, however, noted that smaller drugstores and pharmacies that still utilize manual inventory systems have been given by the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) until September 15 to comply.

The city mayor also urged the public to immediately report errant drugstores to the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) or the city administrator’s office, including any drug retailer not complying with the 50-percent price cut on at least 43 essential medicines.

“It is also important that consumers keep receipts of their medicine purchases when filing a complaint to help identify the drug retailer that is not complying with the Cheaper Medicines Act,” he said.
 
The city administrator said drugstores and pharmacies defying the Cheaper Medicines Law could face sanctions ranging from a P1,000 fine to the cancellation of their certificate of product registration or loss of their license to operate within the city.