FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
Senate Bill No. 2 4 6 8 
),' 
INTRODUCED BY SEN. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
, , 
It is pathetic to note that many of our sick but indigent countrymen who are 
medically attended to in public hospitals and diagnosed as suffering from certain 
ailment and prescribed the needed medicines, are nonetheless helpless in 
having their illness cured bec~use of lack of means to buy medicines as 
prescribed. 
Again, poverty is depriving many indigent patients of the rare opportunity of 
medical advancement and recent discoveries on cure of diseases because the 
medicines are hardly affordable and far from the indigent patient's reach. 
Medical attention without the concomitant medicines being administered to the 
patient is meaningless. 
The most appropriate and quick source of funding for free medicines to indigent 
patients is the Internal Revenue Allotments (IRA) of local government units. 
It is the purpose of the bill to set aside a certain percentage of the IRA budget for 
acquisition of medicines for free distribution to indigent patients in their respective 
localities. 
Senator 
;:,. 


FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
SENATE 
Senate Bill No. 2 4 () 8 
INTRODUCED BY SEN. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
AN ACT 
REQUIRING ALL GOVERNMENT UNITS TO EARMARK A PORTION OF 
THEIR INTERNAL REVENUE ALLOTMENTS FOR FREE MEDICINES TO 
INDIGENT PATIENTS IN THEIR LOCALITIES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Local Government to Earmark a Portion of IRA for Free Medicines. 
- It shall be the obligation of all local governments to set aside and earmark a 
portion of their Internal Revenue Allotments (IRA) for appropriation for free 
medicines to be distributed to the public hospitals, clinics, dispensaries or other 
outlets to indigent patients for free in their localities. 
SEC 2. Indigent Patients, Defined; How Dispensed. - Indigent patients are those 
who have no visible means of income or whose income is insufficient for the 
SUbsistence of his or her family as identified by the local social welfare 
department; Provided, That the local government shall maintain a list confirmed 
by the barangay officials concerned where the indigent patient resides and to 
issue an identifying document to insure that the free medicines are properly 
dispensed to deserving recipients; Provided, further, That said hospitals, clinics 
or dispensaries shall, as far as practicable, establish their own pharmacy or 
outlets within their premises and maintain sufficient stock or quantity of the most 
common prescribed medicines in order to immediately provide the free medicines 
to the indigent patients. 
SEC 3. 
Regular Accounting. -
All pharmacies or outlets distributing or 
dispensing free medicines shall render periodic accounting of such disbursement 
duly posted in at least three (3) public bulletin boards specifying the patient's 
name, address, doctor prescribing the medicine and the amount or cost of the 
medicine. 
SEC 4. Acts Constituting Violations of this Act; Penalty. -
In addition to the 
criminal liability incurred by persons for violating pertinent provisions of the 
Revised Penal Code or other special laws, the following acts shall constitute a 
crime under this Act: 
1 


(a) Preparing a list or certification that a patient is indigent when he is not; 
(b) Submitting, preparing or altering any document to make it appear that any 
legitimate acquisition, purchase, disbursement or distribution had been 
made for free medicines when in fact there is none; 
(c) Diverting, concealing or using for other use or purpose, the funds for free 
medicines; 
(d) Dispensing or distributing the free medicines under this Act other than to 
indigent patients; 
(e) Selling or disposing of the free medicines; 
(f) Marking up or padding the purchase cost of medicines acquired under this 
Act; and, 
• 
(g) Knowingly purchasing expired medicines or those expiring within one (1) 
year from date of purchase. 
Those found guilty of committing any of the acts above defined shall be 
sentenced to an imprisonment of not less than two (2) years nor more than seven 
(7) years. 
SEC 5. Separability Clause. - If any of the sections or provisions of this Act is 
held invalid, all other provisions not affected thereby shall remain valid. 
SEC 6. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect within fifteen (15) days 
after its complete publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general 
circulation. 
Approved, 
2