The Department of Health (DoH) announced on Monday that senior citizens will no longer need a purchase booklet to avail of medicine discounts.

Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa introduced Administrative Order 203-0017 which removes the purchase booklet requirement for seniors availing of discounts for medicines, in line with the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010.

Previously, senior citizens were required to present a purchase booklet, along with a valid ID and a doctor’s prescription, to receive the 20-percent discount on medicines.

The DoH acknowledged that this requirement caused an undue burden and difficulties for senior citizens.

“I am also a senior citizen. I know it is hard to always bring a purchase booklet with you. Seniors need the discount on their medicines, and we must make it easy for them to get that,” Herbosa said.

“On behalf of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., we at the DoH give this gift of convenience and more affordable medicines to all of our senior citizens,” he added.

Purchase booklets are used to record details of over-the-counter medicine purchases, including the type of medicine, its quantity, and the date and location of the purchase.

The booklets also helped the drugstores monitor the last purchase made for a certain medicine.

“For partial filling, the establishment’s pharmacist will indicate the quantity partially filled and the unfilled balance on the prescription,” the AO read.

“The senior citizen shall retain the partially filled prescription and present the same later to complete the prescribed quantity,” it added.