BANGUED, Abra (PIA) — The Provincial Department of Health Office (PDOHO) in Abra urged the public to buy medicines only from pharmacies and authorized sellers to ensure their quality, efficacy, and effectiveness.
PDOHO-Abra Pharmacist Nela Georgina Domingo shared that one of the issues they observed is the sale of medicines in sari-sari (convenience) stores.
“Maawatan mi met nga mas convenient ti sari-sari stores aglalo na kadagidiay adayo nga lugar ngem syempre kailangan met nga maamoam ti panagtomar diyay agas ta haan met trained diyay paralako ti store ken lalo na diyay storage ti agas” (We understand that sari-sari stores are more convenient, especially in remote areas, but the sellers are not trained and people have to know how and when to take the medicine or know how to properly store it), he said.
Aside from right dosage and proper storage, PDOHO Pharmacist Honeyrose KC Arias added that antimicrobial resistance is among the leading causes of death, occurring when bacteria, fungi, and viruses stop responding to medicines like antibiotics due to overuse and misuse.
“Isu ngamin daytoy iwor-worry mi ta adu met latta ti gumatgatang nga consumers tayo idiay sari-sari stores ti antibiotic ken dadduma pay haan da pay ammo nga iusar nga nasayaat,” she said.
She cited that one practice that should not be done is opening amoxicillin capsules and sprinkling the powder directly over the wound.
The PDOHO pharmacists also advised consumers to always check the expiration dates of medicines and items they buy. They also encouraged the public to report any unauthorized medicine sellers to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Meanwhile, Domingo and Arias shared that generic and branded medicines have no difference in formulation or effectiveness.
“Awan ti nagdumaan ti generics ken branded kasi agpadpada da lang ti active ingredient. Yun lang branded ket isu da ti nagdiscover ken nagregister idiay FDA” (Generic and branded medicines are the same. It’s just that the branded ones have registered with the FDA), Domingo shared.
Arias said that generic medicines are affordable and accessible to the public, especially for the low-income population.
“Idawdawat mi nga i-promote tayo ti Generic Medicine awareness kasi ti goal mi ti DOH ket awan kuma ti matay nga haan na mapadasan nga ag-agas so dapat i-patronize tayo talaga ti generics nga agas tayo” (We request that you promote Generic Medicine awareness because the goal of the DOH is nobody dies because of not being able to afford medicine so we really should patronize generic medicine) she said.
The pharmacists also shared that the public can check if medicine products are registered and authentic using the FDA website.
PDOHO shared these tips during the Kapihan forum featuring the 2026 Consumer Welfare Month. **JDP/JJMT-PIA-CAR, Abra
