Philippines: Pilot Program for Flexible Supervision of Pharmacies
The Philippine government has launched a “Regulatory Sandbox Pilot Program for Flexible Supervision of Pharmacies” to improve access to essential medicines in underserved areas amid a shortage of about 27,500 registered pharmacists. Under the pilot, licensed pharmacists will be able to remotely supervise multiple community pharmacies via telepharmacy and video supervision while still complying with legal requirements under the Pharmacy Act of 2016. The program, running from 2025 to 2027, involves cooperation among the Food and Drug Administration, the Professional Regulation Commission, the Professional Regulatory Board of Pharmacy, and private pharmacy chains. Pilot areas include selected cities and provinces (such as Manila, Quezon, Iloilo, Ilocos, and others), and participating pharmacies range from national chains to community‐based establishments. The government asserts that the initiative maintains standards of safety and quality through regulatory oversight even as it introduces more flexible models of supervision.