Cagayan de Oro City Councilor Gilda Go has reminded pharmacies and drug stores in the city to comply with the Department of Health’s (DOH) ‘No Booklet’ policy for senior citizens. During a council session, Go highlighted that while big drug stores usually comply, many small-scale and retail drug stores are not following the directive.
Go noted that senior citizens are complaining about the incomplete and selective implementation of the policy, with some stores still requiring purchase booklets. This defeats the purpose of the DOH’s Administrative Order No. 2024-0017, which removes the booklet requirement for seniors to avail of discounts on medicines.
The Councilor has called on the Regulatory Compliance Board (RCB) and the Office of Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) to monitor and ensure compliance of drug stores and pharmacies with the ‘No Booklet’ policy. Councilor Maximo ‘Jonjon’ Rodriguez III also filed an ordinance delisting the booklet requirement for senior citizens.
Vice Mayor Jocelyn Rodriguez referred Go’s report to the council committees on senior citizens, trade and commerce, and consumer protection for deliberation. The move aims to ensure that senior citizens can easily avail of discounts without hassle.
The DOH’s ‘No Booklet’ policy aims to make healthcare more accessible to senior citizens, and it’s expected that pharmacies and drug stores will comply with the directive.
