Pharmacies urged to get accreditation for GAMOT

By Ana-Liza Macatangay

LEGAZPI CITY --- The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) Bicol has encouraged the local pharmacies in the region to apply for accreditation for the Guaranteed and Accessible Medications for Outpatient Treatment (GAMOT) program.

Alberto Manduriao, regional vice president of PhilHealth Bicol, said that PhilHealth GAMOT is not yet accessible in Bicol as the accreditation for local pharmacies is still ongoing.

“At this point, we still don’t have an accredited pharmacy, but plenty have already applied for accreditation…we have requirements under the e-GAMOT that they need to comply with before gaining accreditation,” Manduraio said.

He also mentioned that an e-GAMOT application will be installed on their computers to enhance services offered to members. “We will have electronic prescriptions and QR codes. When a patient visits an accredited e-GAMOT facility, their QR code will be scanned, and the prescribed medications will show up in the system,” Manduriao explained.

He expressed optimism that the Bicol region would have an accredited GAMOT facility by the end of this year.

For those pharmacies interested in obtaining GAMOT accreditation, Manduriao advised visiting www.philhealth.gov.ph to access the complete requirements for PhilHealth GAMOT or to consult with PhilHealth offices.

“They should inquire if they believe they can provide the services required for a GAMOT facility,” Manduriao added.

The implementation of GAMOT is under the PhilHealth YAKAP or Yaman ng Kalusugan Program, where PhilHealth will cover an additional 54 medicines on top of the 21 medicines, expanding the benefit package of the Konsultasyong Sulit Tama (Konsulta) initiatives.

Every member can access an annual benefit limit of P20,000, which may be availed at accredited GAMOT facilities.

YAKAP expands the Konsulta package to deliver more comprehensive healthcare services to all Filipinos.

PhilHealth Bicol launched YAKAP in Albay in the first week of October, marking it as the fourth province in Bicol to have this launch. The insurance corporation plans to continue rolling out YAKAP in Sorsogon and Catanduanes in the upcoming weeks. (Nicole Frilles contributed to this story/PIA 5)