Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 5921)
Republic Act No. 5921 aims to regulate the practice of pharmacy and set standards for pharmaceutical education in the Philippines.
The Council is composed of the Secretary of Education (Chairman), the Undersecretary of Health Services, the Food and Drug Administrator, the Chairman of the Board of Pharmacy, deans of pharmacy colleges from the University of the Philippines and accredited private schools, and a representative of bona fide national pharmaceutical organizations.
Its functions include promulgating rules on pharmaceutical education, accrediting colleges of pharmacy, submitting regulations for implementation, and accrediting pharmacies and laboratories for internships.
The Board consists of a Chairman and two members appointed by the President of the Philippines with the consent of the Commission on Appointments from nominees recommended by the Commissioner of Civil Service.
A member must be a natural-born Filipino citizen, a registered pharmacist with at least ten years of practice, of good moral character, not affiliated with any pharmacy school faculty or financially interested in it, and a member in good standing of a national pharmaceutical association.
Grounds include criminal conviction, immoral or dishonorable conduct, fraud in obtaining the certificate, gross negligence or incompetence, malpractice, being a dummy for an unqualified person, addiction impairing competence, insanity, false advertising, and any violation of the Code of Ethics.
The candidate must be a natural-born Filipino citizen, of good moral character, completed at least 960 hours of internship in accredited establishments, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy or its equivalent from an accredited institution.
The exam covers theoretical and practical subjects including various Chemistry disciplines, Biological Sciences, Pharmacy subjects, and practical tests like drug identification, compounding, dispensing, and manufacturing pharmacy.
A person must be at least 21 years old, have passed the Board exam, and hold a valid certificate of registration issued by the Board of Pharmacy.
Penalties include fines from one thousand to four thousand pesos, or imprisonment from six months and one day to four years, or both, at the court’s discretion.
Pharmacists must dispense violent poisons only upon prescription by licensed professionals, record sales including purchaser information, label packages with a poison warning, and ensure poisons are not sold to minors or impaired persons.
All pharmacies, drugstores, and hospital pharmacies, as well as drug or pharmaceutical laboratories engaged in manufacturing or repackaging drugs in excess quantities, must be under direct supervision of a registered pharmacist.
Examinations are held twice a year in the City of Manila and environs as fixed by the Board of Pharmacy.
Pharmacies must keep a prescription book recording each prescription and details like manufacturer and lot numbers, which must be open to inspection and preserved for at least two years after the last entry.
Samples given free for promotion must bear a conspicuous label stating 'Sample, not for sale' and may not be sold.