E-DRUG: Poor access to TB medicines in the Philippines (2)
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Hi. I just like to inform Mr. Rene Manangan that the Dept of Health has a
National TB Program and certain hospitals have the DOTS program in place.
This means that drugs are also available since it is an important component
of the program.However, diagnosis of the TB cases are based on the accepted
diagnostic criteria. This is good, because most private pactitoners rely
heavily on chest xray to diagnose TB which we all know is not the accepted
standard. Hope you can get in touch with DOH or PHILTIPS or PHILCAT
regarding your problem. Your desire to help your patients with TB drugs is
commendable but we must have a coherent and integrated program for treating
our TB patients or else we end up with more resistant strains. As it is, MDR
TB is an important problem that already besets the Philippines.
regards
Jody V. Dalmacion, MD
Department of Pharmacology, UP College of Medicine
The Philippines
jrvd2003@yahoo.com
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