Senior citizens no longer need to present a purchase booklet in availing of their discount on medicines, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa announced on Monday.
Previously, senior citizens needed to present a purchase booklet accompanied by valid identification and a doctor’s prescription in order to get a discount at drugstores.
“On behalf of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., we at the DOH give this gift of convenience and more affordable medicines to all of our senior citizens. Merry Christmas!” Herbosa said in a press conference.
“I am also a senior citizen. I know it is hard to always bring a purchase booklet with you. Seniors need the discount on their medicines, and we must make it easy for them to get that,” Herbosa said.
The Health Secretary noted the booklet was used to catch fake users of the discount.
“The important thing is that at least the senior citizen can buy medicine immediately when needed,” Herbosa said.
Meanwhile, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda welcomed the DOH order.
“Byebye booklet. I thank the DOH for making permanent the change we requested in the House’s joint committee hearings on senior citizens’, PWD, and solo parents’ benefits. It’s a long overdue change. Salamat PBBM and salamat, (Health) Secretary Ted Herbosa,” the lawmaker said.
Salceda, a resident economist who chairs the House Committee on Ways and Means, issued the statement following the issuance of DOH AO No. 2024-0017, which removed the requirement of presenting a Senior Citizen’s Booklet when availing of medicine discounts for seniors.
“During the House hearings, it was brought up that the booklet requirement often causes senior citizens to get denied essential medicines. Senior citizens often forget these documents, or lose them,” Salceda said.
The lawmaker said the 20 percent medicine discount, along with the VAT-free treatment for a significant number of medicines, has been a lifesaver for many senior citizens.
Salceda credited Speaker Martin Romualdez’s efforts for the issuance of DOH AO No. 2024-0017.
“It was Speaker Romualdez’s idea to bring the committees together and make things right for seniors and persons with disabilities,” he said.
“Those hearings accomplished so much. We were able to get Starbucks to do a 40 percent discount to compensate for misapplication of the standard discount.”
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “Seniors no longer need purchase booklet for medicine discount.”
