DOH issues new national antibiotic guidelines, national formulary online

MANILA, Philippines — To ensure that the public has access to vital health information, the Department of Health on Thursday released online versions of the Philippine National Formulary (PNF) and new antibiotic guidelines.

In a statement, the DOH said that the online PNF provides information on the use of essential drugs for priority diseases in the country.

The formulary contains information on 619 drugs and medicines and will include “comprehensive pharmacology information to aid health professionals in making clinical decisions.”

DOH Undersecretary Eric Domingo said the drugs included in the formulary are those considered “essential and vital in addressing the major disease burden in the country.”

Aside from releasing an online version, Domingo said that the department will print a new edition of the PNF Manual which is set to be released and distributed to healthcare facilities by the last quarter of 2019.

Meanwhile, the national antibiotic guidelines serves as a supplement to the PNF to guide health providers on rational antibiotic use.

“The antibiotic guidelines is part of the overall program of the Department of Health on anti-microbial stewardship, ibig sabihin tamang paggamit ng (which means the proper use of) antibiotics in all our health care facilities,” DOH Pharmaceutical Division Chief  Dr. Anna Melissa Guerrero said in a press conference held Thursday.

Guerrero added that with the release of the new guidelines, this will help clinicians in different health care settings in making “regressional treatment decisions.” /je