General Prescribing Guidelines Under Prior Laws
- Only licensed veterinarians authorized to prescribe drugs; unauthorized prescribing equals illegal practice.
- Prescriptions must include prescriber’s info (name, address, registration, tax receipt), client and patient details, drug specifics (generic name, strength, quantity).
- Prescription of prohibited and regulated drugs requires S-2 license, special DDB forms, and proper recording.
Additional Prescribing Guidelines Under the Generics Act
- Prescriptions must use generic names fully written; chemical forms may be abbreviated.
- Brand names may be written in parentheses after the generic name.
- Special requirements for drugs under List B: must be clearly indicated as (list B), and include additional info like manufacturer, brand name, strength, dose, delivery mode, and frequency.
Specific Prescribing Guidelines for Food and Aquatic Animals
- Veterinarian must have assumed clinical responsibility, have recent knowledge of animals, and be available for follow-up.
- For individual animals, standard prescriptions suffice.
- For 10 or more animal units, a VCPR letter must accompany the Veterinary Drug Order detailing client, veterinarian responsibilities, and drug withdrawal periods.
Handling of Violative, Erroneous, and Impossible Prescriptions
- Violative prescriptions (no generic name, illegible generic but legible brand name, instructions preventing generic substitution) must not be filled; reported to DOH/DA.
- Erroneous prescriptions (brand name precedes generic, generic in parentheses, brand name not in parentheses) may be filled but still reported.
- Impossible prescriptions (illegible generic name, generic name not matching brand, unregistered drugs) must not be filled and reported.
- Reports sent to appropriate regulatory bodies, which may impose sanctions.
Administrative and Criminal Sanctions
- Violations lead to administrative sanctions recommended by Secretary of Health and imposed by PRC.
- Criminal proceedings can be filed under various applicable laws, including the Generics Act, Food and Drugs Act, Pharmacy Law, Veterinary Practice Act, Dangerous Drugs Act, and others.
Implementation Phases
- Phase 1 (6 months): Educational drive and dissemination involving multiple government agencies.
- Phase 2 (12 months): Monitoring voluntary compliance without penalties.
- Phase 3 (from January 1, 1993): Full enforcement with sanctions for violations.
- Funding for phases provided by DOH/DA.
Legal Provisions
- Separability Clause: Invalid provisions do not affect remaining rules.
- Repealing Clause: Conflicting administrative orders and issuances are repealed or modified accordingly.
- Effectivity: Rules take effect 15 days after publication in a widely circulated newspaper.