THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session 
SENATE 
S. Bill No. 
2392 
.- 
INTRODUCED BY HON. MANNY VILLAR 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
In this country of more than 66 million, cancer is the third most 
frequent disease after communicable and cardiovascular illnesses. It is 
estimated that 1 of every 1000 Filipino will get cancer and that 200,000 
Filipinos are suffering from cancer pain every year. 
Poverty-stricken Filipinos who are suffering from this illness just 
allow themselves to suffer and die quietly and in pain. One of the obvious 
reasons is that they could not afford the expensive medical cost, 
particularly the high cost of cancer medicines, needed for their treatment. 
In view of this, the attached bill seeks to establish a Cancer Drug 
Repository Program where a cancer patient or the patient's family may 
donate unused cancer drugs and medical devices to uninsured and 
underinsured cancer patients. This will greatly assist in the treatment of 
Filipino cancer patients and will give them hope in their treatment. 
Accordingly, 
the urgent passage of this 
bill is hereby 
recommended. 
n 
""J"" 


THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
Second Regular Session 
SENATE 
S. Bill No. '2 
INTRODUCED BY HON. MANNY VlLLAR 
AN ACT ESTABLISHING A CANCER DRUG REPOSITORY 
PROGRAM AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Cancer 
Philippines in Congress assembled: 
Drug Repository Act". 
Section 2. - Definitions. - For the purposes of this Act: 
Cancer Drug - means a prescription drug that is used to treat 
Department - means the Department of Health; 
Eligible patient - means an uninsured or underinsured cancer 
Medical device - means an instrument, apparatus, implement, 
Section 3. Cancer Drug Repository. - There is hereby established 
a Cancer Drug Repository Program for the purpose of allowing a cancer 
patient or the patient's family to donate unused cancer drugs and medical 
devices to uninsured and underinsured cancer patients. The program 
shall be administered by the Department of Health. 
The program shall allow a cancer patient or the patient's 
family to donate unused cancer drugs or medical devices to a health care 
facility, medical clinic, or pharmacy that elects to participate in the 
program. A health care facility, medical clinic, or pharmacy that receives 
a donated cancer drug or medical device under the program may 
distribute the cancer drug to another health care facility, medical clinic or 
pharmacy for use under the program; 
cancer or the side effects of cancer; 
patient; 
machine, contrivance, implant, or similar or related article. 
1) 
2) A pharmacist may accept and dispense cancer drugs and 
medical devices donated under the program to patients if all of the 
following requirements are met: 
a) 
The cancer drug is in its original, unopened, sealed and 
tamper-evident unit packaging or, if packaged in single- 
unit doses, the single-unit-dose packaging is unopened; 


b) The cancer drug bears a,rl expiration date that has not 
expired; 
c) 
The cancer drug or medical device is not adulterated or 
misbranded, as determined by a pharmacists employed 
by or under contract with the health care facility, 
medical clinic, or pharmacy; and 
d) 
The cancer drug or medical device is prescribed by a 
medical practitioner for use by an eligible patient and is 
dispensed by a pharmacist. 
3. A cancer drug or medical device donated under the program 
may not be resold. A health care facility, medical clinic, or pharmacy may 
charge an eligible patient a handling fee to receive a donated cancer drug 
or medical device 
4. Nothing in this section requires a health care facility, medical 
clinic or pharmacy to participate in the program. 
Section 4. Implementing rules and regulations. - 'The Department 
of Health shall promulgate the rules and regulations for the 
implementation and administration of the program. 
The rules shall 
include, at a minimum the following: 
1) Eligibility criteria; 
2) Standards and procedures for a health care facility, medical 
clinic or pharmacy to accept, safely store, and dispense 
donated cancer drugs and medical devices; 
3) Eligibility criteria for individuals to receive donated cancer drugs 
or medical devices dispensed under the program. The criteria 
shall prioritize dispensation to cancer patients who are 
uninsured or underinsured, but shall permit dispensation to 
other cancer patients if an ininsured or underinsured cancer 
patient is not available; 
4) A means by which an eligible patient may indicate the 
5) The maximum handling fee that a health care facility, medical 
clinic, or pharmacy may charge for distributing or dispensing 
donated cancer drugs or medical devices; and 
individual's eligibility under the program; 
6) A list of cancer drugs, arranged by category or individual 
cancer drug, that the program will accept and will not accept for 
dispensing. 
The list of cancer drugs the program will not 
accept shall include the reason a cancer drug is ineligible for 
donation. 
Section 5. Liability. - Prescription Drug manufacturers.- Nothing in 
this act shall be construed to create or abrogate any liability on behalf of a 
prescription drug manufacturer for the storage, donation, acceptance, or 
dispensing of a cancer drug or medical device, or to create any civil case 
of action against a prescription drug manufacturer, in addition to that 
which is available under applicable law. 


Section 6. Any law, dlecree, order, rule or regulation or part thereof 
which is inconsistent with this Act is ,hereby repealed or modified 
accordingly. 
Section 7. This Act shall take effect im.mediately upon approval. 
Approved,