A Senate investigation has been sought into billions of pesos worth of expired and unused medicines, vaccines, and medical supplies procured by the Department of Health from 2018 to 2024.
Sen. Raffy Tulfo filed Senate Resolution No. 403 on May 25, urging the appropriate Senate committee to look into the recurring wastage flagged by the Commission on Audit and to strengthen the DOH’s procurement, inventory, and distribution systems.
The resolution was filed amid continuing complaints from patients who struggle to obtain medicines from government hospitals and barangay health centers, even as publicly funded medical supplies are reportedly left unused until they expire.
Tulfo cited COA findings showing a repeated pattern of wastage in DOH-procured medicines, vaccines, and medical supplies over the years, including losses of P18.5 billion from 2025 to 2028, P2.2 billion in 2019, P95 million in 2020, P85 million in 2021, P7.4 billion in 2022, P11.8 billion in 2023, and P134 million in 2024.
Based on the 2024 COA audit findings, about P34.8 million worth of drugs, medicines, and other medical inventories had expired, while another P99.5 million worth were nearing expiration because of inventory management deficiencies that affected procurement planning, distribution, and monitoring.
COA also said overstocking contributed to product expiration, resulting in wasted resources that could have supported health services, particularly in low-income regions.
“While millions of Filipinos continue to face difficulties in accessing free vitamin supplements and maintenance medicines for conditions such as diabetes and hypertension in barangay health centers and public hospitals, medicines and medical supplies procured using public funds are reportedly being left to expire in DOH warehouses and health facilities, rather than reaching their intended beneficiaries,” Tulfo said.
He said medicines remain among the biggest out-of-pocket health expenses for Filipino families, making it necessary to determine accountability, identify responsible officials, and address systemic weaknesses within the DOH that led to wastage, overstocking, and non-utilization of publicly funded medicines and medical supplies.